The arrival of winter triggers dormancy in your lawn, dulling its vibrancy and slowing your plants’ growth to conserve energy. But even though it’s tempting to lock yourself indoors with a hot cup of cocoa, a warm blanket, your favourite fuzzy socks, and a good book, lawn care in winter is just as important as in other seasons.
Our Guide for Winter Lawn Care
By ensuring that your lawn’s health is maintained in winter, you can guarantee it will flourish again come spring. So, how do you take care of your lawn in winter? Follow our top tips below to keep your lawn in excellent condition during winter.
Limit Water
Avoid putting excess moisture into the soil as it encourages compaction. Some areas in Australia are subject to the Winter Sprinkler Switch-Off, which automatically prohibits property owners from watering their lawns every June 1st to August 31st. But for those who are not affected, you shouldn’t water your lawn too much and only do it when needed.
If you want to keep your lawn looking green, however, water your lawn very lightly before the sun comes up to remove frost from the leaf.
Mowing
Depending on your turf variety and location, keep mowing your lawn every two to three weeks during winter. Raise your mower blades slightly higher than they were in autumn to leave extra length on the leaves. Doing so allows your grass to stay healthier since there is more leaf area for photosynthesis. It also helps to keep winter weeds away.
Longer leaves also allow your lawn to retain its colour. But don’t space your mowing for too long if you want to avoid scalping your lawn.
Servicing Lawn Care Equipment
Winter lawn care isn’t just about your lawn itself. It’s also about keeping your equipment in good condition. Carry out any tool maintenance and have your mowers and whipper snippers serviced. Don’t wait for spring because repair shops will have more customers and longer waiting times.
Aerate Your Lawn
Compacted lawns cause significant problems over winter, so aerating your yard is a must. If left alone, fewer nutrients will get to your lawn’s roots, diminishing and damaging your overall lawn health.
You can prevent compaction by avoiding traffic on your lawn or regularly aerating to loosen the soil. You can do this using a garden fork, petrol-powered core aerator, or aerating sandals. Which tool you use depends on the size of your turf.
Turn Leaves Into Mulch
Leaving debris, dead grass, and old leaves to freeze and thaw during winter causes them to release soluble phosphate and nitrate forms. Once the ground thaws for spring, the released chemicals can run off and reach the surface water. Avoid this by raking away as many leaves as possible before the first frost.
Raking also helps to reduce brown patches since leaves can cover turf areas and leave them sun-deprived. But instead of burning the leaves, run them over with a mower a few times until they turn into mulch. Decomposed leaves help create organic matter that will feed your lawn’s roots, so don’t waste this opportunity to include it in your routine for lawn care in winter.
The Best Time to Weed and Feed the Lawn in the Colder Months
Treat weeds in autumn before they sprout into winter weeds since you have more chance of getting rid of them before they germinate. It stops them from dropping their seeds back into the soil and popping up again next season. However, you can also treat weeds once they have sprouted in winter.
Most grasses in Australian lawns belong to warm-season varieties that continue to grow slowly in winter. Because of this, they can still absorb nutrients, keeping them strong throughout the coldest months. But you should feed your lawn as it’s waking up to get the most out of your fertiliser. Feed your turf during late August or early September to help it thrives faster when spring comes.
Keep on Top of Lawn Care in Winter with Professional Help
Do you need help keeping your lawn in good condition during the year’s colder months? Choose Green Oasis Lawn and Reticulation for your lawn care needs in Perth, and we will take care of the rest. We provide comprehensive lawn services from installation to lawn mowing and other maintenance services. Get in touch with us to know more.
