Lawn mowing in Winter

Rule of thumb throughout the year is to mow high and mow often. During Winter however, the only thing you change is to mow less often, and if possible mow a touch higher (no shorter than 2.5cm). Mowing too low may cause scalping which makes it a lot more difficult or impossible for the lawn to recover or “re-patch” itself during Winter.

In the warmer months we also would normally advise to mulch mow every now and then (leave your lawn clippings on the ground) which provides nutrients and holds in moisture better for the lawn along with making it less work for you. However in Winter, do not do this. The lawn will need as much sunlight it can get and the last thing it needs is to stay wet for longer as it could cause fungal issue or wilt the grass. Also make sure you pick up all the dead leaves too.

Trim your trees and shrubs

If your lawn is surrounded by trees and shrubs, it’s a good idea to trim them. This is because you want to provide as much sunlight to the lawn as possible. 

Aerate

As Winter is coming to an end, you should think about aerating your lawn so that the soil doesn’t become too dense. When the weather warms up, soil compaction will hinder the roots from receiving a good amount of water, air and nutrients to grow and thrive in Spring.

Weeding is great during Winter

During Winter weeds will take advantage of your lawn’s vulnerability and will find every little gap possible to grow. The best way is to get your hands dirty and pull them out with the help of a weed remover tool. The great thing about pulling weeds out in Winter is that the soil will almost always be soft which means that your weeds will come out a lot easier than they would in any other season.

You can opt for herbicides however be very careful as to which you use as your lawn may be too weak to handle it. Check the label and ask a professional before deciding on which herbicide to use.

Don’t water in Winter

You rarely will need to water in Winter as the last thing we want to do is have a continuous amount of moisture on the lawn which can cause fungus to grow and damage an already weak lawn. We only advise watering if your lawn is really dry, which of course can happen in Winter from time to time.

Managing early morning frost

It might be pretty to look at but did you know that early morning frost / ice can cause your grass to go yellow? This is because the ice stops the water inside the grass blade from traveling down to the root as it pretty much freezes it in place. Grass will almost always recover as the weather warms up, however if the warm weather decides to arrive a little later than usual which is absolutely possible in our home city of Melbourne, the damage caused could be too much.

You can help manage this problem by very lightly irrigating your lawn in the morning to melt the ice away.

Get your lawn mower serviced

Take advantage of the little lawn mowing you are doing and get your lawn mower serviced! Consider replacing or sharpening your blades and get a professional to give it the once over! Owning a lawn mower that is well looked after is better for the health of your lawn and undoubtedly your own health and safety.

It is one of the best things you can do for lawn care.