Winter lawn care tips and tricks
Winter Lawn Care: Keep Your Grass Healthy Through the Cold
Winter's here, but that doesn't mean your lawn goes to sleep. In fact, it's a great time to aerate, tackle moss, and prevent seasonal damage.
These videos cover essential winter lawn care tips, from proper mowing height to preventing damage, plus some bonus content on maintaining your garden edges and hard surfaces during the cold months.
Winter feeding is often overlooked, but it's crucial for root development during dormancy. Our Autumn Fertiliser is specifically formulated to strengthen grass through winter whilst keeping top growth minimal.
The WORST Thing You Can Do to Your Lawn in Winter
This is your introduction to winter lawn care basics, and it starts with the single worst mistake that damages more lawns than anything else during cold weather.
I'll walk you through the ideal mowing height for winter, how much to trim (and when to stop cutting altogether), and what treatment works best for winter conditions. Everything's backed by science, so you understand why these techniques work, not just what to do.
Getting winter lawn care right sets you up for a brilliant spring. Get it wrong, and you'll be fighting problems for months.
Edging Tools for Lawns, What Works Best
This one's from the archives, an older video, but still packed with brilliant tips for getting sharp, clean edges around your lawn.
Winter is a great time to trim your lawn edges while the grass is growing slowly. We test a range of edging tools, from budget options to professional kits, showing you what works best for different situations and what's a waste of money.
Sharp edges transform the appearance of a lawn, and you don't need expensive equipment to achieve professional results.
The Biggest Mistake I Made on My Lawn This Year
This one's a bit of fun, a lighthearted look at what went wrong on my own lawn this year. Even after 30+ years of professional experience, I still make mistakes.
Learn from my mistake so you don't make the same one on your lawn!
My Best Winter Lawn Tip (You Might Be Missing It!)
This one follows up on the last video and may be my best tip of the year. If you're keeping stripes through winter or want to avoid damage during cold weather, this video is essential.
This simple technique costs nothing, takes minimal effort, and can prevent thousands of pounds worth of damage to your lawn. Yet few people do it because they don't realise how important it is.
Once you know this tip, you'll wonder why you never thought of it before.
Fixing the Sleepers Around the Edge of the Lawn
Not just turf care: this video shows how we repaired and reinstalled the timber sleepers along the lawn border. Perfect if your edges are falling apart or you're planning to install new borders.
Sleepers make excellent lawn edging when installed properly, but they rot over time and require replacement. This video walks through the complete process, from removal to installation, and explains how to ensure they last as long as possible.
The Secret to a Moss-Free Tarmac Driveway
Okay, not strictly lawn-related, but super helpful and perfectly timed for winter when moss really takes hold on hard surfaces.
Here's how to eliminate moss from your tarmac driveways and keep them looking clean throughout the year. Moss on driveways isn't just unsightly. It's slippery and dangerous during winter, especially when it freezes.
This method is effective, long-lasting, and doesn't damage your tarmac. Once you've seen how easy it is, you'll wonder why you didn't sort it years ago.
Your Winter Lawn Care Calendar
Winter lawn care is about protection and preparation rather than active growth. Understanding what to do each month helps you maintain lawn health through dormancy and sets up strong spring recovery.
Continue mowing as needed but raise cutting height gradually to 25-30mm. Apply autumn fertiliser if you haven't already. This is your last chance for major renovation work like scarifying or overseeding. Complete any aeration before temperatures drop significantly.
Mow only if grass is actively growing and ground isn't frozen or waterlogged. Keep mower height at 30mm or higher. Avoid walking on frosted grass as this damages cell structures. Clear fallen leaves promptly to prevent smothering and disease development. This is a good time for equipment maintenance and planning spring work.
Resume light mowing if weather permits and grass is growing. Keep height at 25-30mm initially. Watch for early moss development and treat if necessary. Late February is ideal for applying spring fertiliser in milder regions, giving grass a head start as temperatures rise. Repair any winter damage to edges or borders.
Gradually lower cutting height back to normal summer levels over several cuts. Apply spring fertiliser if you haven't already. Begin regular mowing schedule as growth accelerates. This is prime time for scarifying and aeration before the main growing season begins. Address any bare patches with overseeding whilst soil temperatures are rising.
Key Winter Rules: Never mow frozen grass, avoid heavy foot traffic during frost, keep grass slightly longer than summer height, and feed with low-nitrogen autumn fertiliser to strengthen roots without promoting vulnerable top growth.
Common Winter Lawn Care Questions
Should I mow my lawn in winter?
Yes, but only when necessary. Grass continues growing slowly during mild winter weather, particularly in southern UK regions. Mow only when grass is actively growing, ground isn't frozen or waterlogged, and conditions are dry enough to avoid compaction.
Keep mower height higher than summer, around 25-30mm, to protect grass crowns and improve cold tolerance. In severe weather or when grass stops growing completely, don't mow at all. Better to let it grow slightly long than damage it by cutting in poor conditions.
Can I fertilise my lawn in winter?
Apply autumn fertiliser in late autumn (October-November) before winter arrives properly. This type of fertiliser is low in nitrogen and high in potassium, strengthening roots and improving cold tolerance without promoting vulnerable leaf growth.
Don't apply spring or summer fertilisers during winter as high nitrogen content encourages soft, frost-susceptible growth. Wait until late February or March, when soil temperatures rise and grass begins active growth, before switching to spring fertilisers.
How do I prevent moss taking over in winter?
Moss thrives in winter because of increased moisture, reduced light, and compacted soil. Improve drainage through aeration in autumn, ensure proper mowing height (not too short), and clear fallen leaves promptly to maximise light penetration.
If moss is already established, treat with iron sulphate-based moss killer during dry weather. Scarify out dead moss once it blackens. Address underlying causes like shade, poor drainage, or soil compaction to prevent moss returning each winter. Our Green Shot Iron provides excellent moss control whilst greening grass.
Is it safe to walk on my lawn in winter?
Avoid walking on frozen grass as foot traffic ruptures frozen cell walls, causing permanent brown footprint marks that only recover when grass regrows in spring. Similarly, avoid heavy traffic on waterlogged lawns as this causes severe compaction.
Light use during dry, unfrozen periods is fine. If you must cross frozen grass, use stepping stones or temporary walkways. For high-traffic areas like paths to bins or sheds, consider installing proper pathways to prevent winter damage to turf.
What damage does frost cause to lawns?
Frost itself doesn't typically damage established lawns. Grass plants are remarkably frost-tolerant and enter semi-dormancy during cold weather. The real damage occurs when you walk on frosted grass, breaking frozen leaf blades and cell structures.
Very harsh winters can cause some die-back, particularly on fine grasses or in exposed locations. Proper autumn feeding with potassium-rich fertiliser significantly improves frost tolerance. Most frost damage is cosmetic and recovers naturally in spring.
Can I scarify or aerate in winter?
Light aeration (solid tining) is acceptable during winter on unfrozen ground, but avoid aggressive hollow tine aeration until spring when grass can recover quickly. Winter aeration can relieve compaction and improve drainage on waterlogged lawns.
Don't scarify in winter. Scarifying is aggressive renovation work that requires active grass growth for recovery. Leave scarifying until spring or early autumn when growing conditions support rapid healing. Winter scarifying leaves lawns vulnerable to disease, moss invasion, and weather damage.
🌱 Strengthen Your Lawn for Winter
Winter preparation starts with proper feeding. Our fertiliser range is designed for UK seasons and backed by 30+ years of professional experience.
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