Top Tips for Lawncare in The Winter
Being a keen gardener means you probably know a great deal about how to keep your plants healthy and thriving. But being a gardener in winter can be a very different hobby. With shorter days and colder temperatures to contend with it can be hard to know what your garden needs.
For example, it is better to water your garden early in the morning once the ground has thawed. This gives your soil the best chance of absorbing water before the ground freezes again at night. Here are some more tips to look after your lawn throughout the winter.
Keep Off Wet Soil
Winter in the UK invariably means dampness and that dampness can really penetrate the soil in your garden.
Areas which are commonly walked on, like the lawn, often become impacted if they have been waterlogged due to the weather. Stepping on wet soil means the air is forced out. When this happens and the soil then dries it turns hard and concrete-like. This prevents the roots from your grass growing potentially leading your grass to die.
Aerating your lawn can help to prevent this. Use an aerating tool to make small holes in your lawn to allow the air to circulate and reach the roots.
Salt Damage
When you use de-icer on your car, driveway or paths, there is a possibility that it may transfer or leech onto your grass. The salt in these products can cause significant damage to the grass itself by inhibiting the way it absorbs nutrients from the soil.
Be mindful of the products you are using and try to buy products that contain alternatives to salt, such as calcium chloride. Another tip is to avoid shovelling snow or slush from the pavement onto your garden as it will often contain salt products used to grit the roads.
If you find that your lawn has come into contact with salt you should water it thoroughly as soon as the temperature is above zero. This will help to flush away the salt.
Mowing And Raking
Keeping on top of debris that has fallen on your lawn is a year-round task and that includes throughout winter. All of these things can prevent moisture from getting into your grass, stunting its growth.
You are still able to mow your lawn in winter, provided there is a dry spell so that you can do it easily and quickly. However, if you don’t manage to do it, there are still a couple of things to keep an eye out for.
Moss thrives in the damp conditions of winter and can take over your lawn. Putting down a moss control treatment early in the winter months can help to keep it at bay. Although weeding is a bigger task in the warmer seasons, there are some things you can do in winter to make this easier. Preparing for the task is important so make sure you have everything you need for weed control.
You can apply a pre-emergent weed killer when the ground isn’t frozen which prevents weeds from growing before you can see them. This is an aggressive approach, however, so something a bit milder would be to dedicate a couple of days at the start of the season to weed your garden fully and get ahead of it.
