Winter can sometimes spell catastrophe for the inexperienced gardener. If you have a difficult season when it comes to precipitation or icy temperatures, or just haven’t prepared your garden for the colder season, you may experience issues when it comes to maintaining a healthy lawn. Follow these tips to prepare your grass ahead of time so that your lawn flourishes despite the season.
Look for a synthetic alternative
If you persistently have trouble with your grass, live in an area with unpredictable weather patterns, like to play sport in your garden, or just want to skip over the hassle of lawn maintenance altogether, there’s a great alternative available. You could opt for turf installation sydney – it’s a low-cost and easy way to get a natural looking synthetic turf lawn that won’t require any maintenance at all and zero preparation for the winter. It’ll be just as green as it was during the summer months and leave you with far less mud getting dragged through your home if you have children or pets, so it may be an easier alternative on many different levels.
Adjust your mowing height.
As the seasons begin to change, you should alter the way you go about mowing your lawn each weekend. For example, in the summer your lawn will grow quickly, so you’ll be giving it a trim far more regularly. While you may still mow your lawn when spring and autumn arrive, you should change the height to adjust for the amount of growth you can expect from the grass. The lawn will no longer be growing freely as it won’t be able to photosynthesize as much sunlight – so it’s always sensible to increase your mowing height to leave more grass on your lawn as the winter months approach. Once winter arrives, it may be tempting to stop mowing altogether as you’re seeing very little growth from the grass. However, mowing should still continue or a thatch layer may grow over your grass, which can cause damage once spring arrives.
Check your water levels.
The amount of watering you’ll give your lawn during winter will depend on your location and the amount of rainfall you receive, but it’s always important to check the moisture levels in your soil throughout the season to ensure that the grass isn’t drying out. If you’re not getting enough rain, the soil may drain moisture away, leaving your lawn looking damaged and unhealthy by spring. Check the water levels on a regular basis so you know when your lawn needs to be watered, and take a break if you’re getting plenty of rainfall.
Fertilise in advance.
It’s crucial to make sure lawn at your property is well fertilised before winter begins to keep the grass healthy and strong throughout the cold months. You can choose a specific winter fertiliser that will provide plenty of good quality minerals and nutrients to the soil. Doing this before winter begins allows the grass plenty of time to absorb these nutrients before the cold weather and lack of sunlight begins to inhibit growth. You can then continue to fertilise regularly throughout winter but at a lower dose – too much fertiliser could damage the lawn and the ecosystem when you’re applying the fertiliser at more regular intervals than you would be during warmer seasons.