Before the cold weather you need to be sure that there is no new leaf growth on your lawn as this may cause it to be susceptible to pests and diseases. To do this gradually, lower the cutting height of your lawn mower until you are almost grazing the grass. Undertake this in steps over the course of a few weeks as you do not want to suddenly take off all the leaf tissue or inflict extra damage to the grass. You do not want to let the grass grow longer than 2 inches for the winter.

Apply top dressing to your lawn at the end of fall. Although this won’t be utilised by the grass during the slow growth of the cold weather it will be saved in the roots and be instantly available for use by the lawn in the Spring as new growth starts again. Bare or brown areas can be reseeded in the Fall. The grass seeds will begin to sprout during the cooler weather.

Remove any rubbish from the lawn before the first snowfall. This includes leaves, grass clippings, children’s toys, pots etc. If not removed when it snows these will cover the grass under the blanket of snow and cause damage which can make the grass more likely to succumb to diseases. During the winter, even though the lawn grass will grow very slowly weeds will thrive so you must often remove weeds to prevent them from harming the lawn.

As well you should still water the lawn throughout the cold weather, although not as much as you would during the Summer or Spring. For most grass varieties watering every week should be enough. Some species, e.g. tall Fescue, rye grass and Kentucky Bluegrass grow quickly in the colder weather and will need watering and fertilising during this season.

Should you have a sprinkler system empty out all the water to preventharm when below freezing. You do not want to start it up in the Spring to find the pipes are damaged and full of holes.

With some care your lawn will survive the cold weather in excellent shape and be healthy and green when it starts to grow again in the Spring.  Winter lawn care is easy if you follow our guidelines. You’ll find more information on lawn care at lawn mower reviews.

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