You might think that to achieve a beautiful summer lawn, all you have to do is prepare in the spring. But think again – the job of creating that lush, verdant summer turf in fact begins the previous autumn!
Giving your lawn some pre-winter attention makes sense, but faced with the chilly, damp autumn weather and shorter days, it can be easy to forget about it and leave it to ride-out the cold months unprepared. However, a lawn that hasn’t been mown, aerated, reseeded (where necessary) and fertilised is both fragile and vulnerable, and will be two or three steps behind where it could be by the time the spring arrives.
Clear Fallen Tree-Debris
The first end-of-autumn job is to clear away any leaves, twigs and branches. If you don’t, the turf will become waterlogged and suffocated, which in turn promotes those twin enemies of the healthy lawn; moss and fungus. You can spread the leaves – as they are, or mulched – across your flowerbeds to protect roots from frost damage, and to ensure the soil is that bit warmer once the growing-season resumes. The leaf coverage will also provide essential shelter for insects and other important garden fauna.
Scarify Pre-Winter
If damp weather has encouraged an autumn moss proliferation, then it’s vital you remove it. Now, you could use your garden rake, but that’s going to be tough, time-consuming and likely ineffective. Instead, MowDirect recommend you get hold of one of the many powered walk-behind scarifiers that are available. These machines use a series of blades to tease-out any stifling moss and thatch accumulation, allowing the turf to breathe, and for nutrients and moisture to more easily reach the root network – by the following spring, your once tired and discoloured lawn will be a beautiful green carpet!
One Last Mow!
For the final mow of the year, make sure you don’t go too short – 5cm is fine, and will allow the delicate stems to withstand the weight of any snowfall. Don’t put-off the final cut, as you could be caught-out by a sudden cold snap where the temperature remains at 5 °C or below for a period, at which point it will be too late.
Lawn Feed
It’s key that you treat your lawn to a good feed before the winter really sets-in. Fertilising will help it regenerate following the heat of the summer, while also helping it to get through the winter, and to be ready start growing vigorously early the following year. A potassium-based feed is best for this particular job.
