Looking after your lawn in Winter

As our beloved blooms retreat and our leafy green trees become barren, we often cosy up indoors to beat the Winter chill and with that abandon our gardening too. Did you know that Winter, however, is the perfect season for laying down the groundwork for a perfect summer lawn?

Read on to discover why now is the time to get your lawn care under control….

It’s the perfect time to top up your lawn nutrients

After month’s of harsh weather now is the time to add those missing nutrients back into your soil so it is able to support and feed your lawn this summer.  Adding these nutrients back in can be done a number of different ways including:

• Using a lawn fertiliser: No matter the type of lawn you have, a premium lawn fertiliser is sure to give it that extra boost to make it green and lush. Most lawn fertilisers come in the form of slow release granules containing trace elements and nutrients that are specifically suited to lawns. Look for a fertiliser that will give your lawn a boost year long so you don’t need to keep topping up.
• Use a liquid fertiliser: A liquid fertiliser is the perfect finishing touch to your winter lawn care and should be applied at the end of the Winter months to give your plants a boost before spring. These fertilisers have a quick uptake and are often balanced to give your lawn a burst of green.
• Top dress your lawn: Full of nutrients that help promote healthy growth, apply a top dress in the winter is a must do. As growth slows down in the winter it allows you to identify any problem areas on your lawn like exposed roots or any uneven soil droppage. Top dress will not only fill in these patched but will also provide your lawn with food that will last through the summer.

Banish weeds by using pre-emergent herbicides

One of the hurdles to getting that perfect summer lawn is the appearance of weeds. Not only do they disrupt the look of your lawn, they are a pain to remove and most of the time keep return no matter how much weed killer you spray or how many you painstakingly pull out from the roots. To make it easier on yourself you can prevent weeds from appearing altogether by applying pre-emergent weed control in the Winter. These products prevent weed seed germination, nipping the nasties in the bud before they have time to sprout above ground level. If you are planning on laying down lawn seed to fix up a few patches, it is important to make sure you establish new growth first or you seeds will not sprout. Regarding application times, this can vary depending on the weather in the state you live in or what type of weeds you want to target. It’s a good idea to research when is the best time in Winter to apply so you don’t miss your window before germination.

Identify your problem areas

As mentioned above, Winter will make your lawn sparse and reveal any damaged patches or problem areas. Now is the perfect time to use a bit of lawn seed to fill the gaps. Make sure you get your turf growing again before laying down any pre-emergent herbicides and avoid heavy traffic in the areas you wish to re-establish. Growth will be a bit slower above ground in the winter so take that into consideration when filling up those patches.

Give your lawn a deep soak to improve your ‘root’ work

Add a wetting agent to your soil in the Winter will improve soil penetration and help moisture get right down to the end of your roots. If you soak your grass deep in the Winter but infrequently you will find you can train your roots to grow even deeper for a stronger hold in the Summer. This is especially a great idea if you do a lot of summer entertaining or your kids like playing in the yard; it will give your lawn that extra hold against high foot traffic.

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