Winter Lawn Care
Winter is a quiet time for your lawn. There is very little you need to do to a lawn in winter.
Starting a New Lawn
Once we start to receive frost at night it is too late to start a new lawn or over-seed your existing lawn. It is best to wait until warmer weather in the spring to apply lawn seed. Nighttime temperatures should be above freezing for 4 to 6 weeks continuously for the seed to successfully germinate.
Watering your Lawn
The cool wet weather means that you do not have to water your lawn again until the spring. However, it is important to watch the lawn in the winter to determine if there are any low spots where water is collecting. Make note of these areas as you will need to aerate and add sand in the spring to improve drainage.
If you apply lime and/or fertilizer to your lawn it is best to water them in thoroughly. Usually an hour is enough to work the lime or fertilizer into the soil. Leaving the lime or fertilizer on the surface of the grass burns the tops of the blades. Lime and fertilizer should only be applied if temperatures are above freezing.
Mowing your Lawn
Cold winter temperatures slow the growth of your lawn. This reduces the need to cut it at regular intervals. You likely do not need to cut your lawn at all during the winter. So one final cut in October or November should be all you need to do.
Applying Moss Control
Winter is not the best time to apply Moss Control to your lawn. The Moss has gone dormant and has probably already spread the spores that will grow next year. You can rake out the moss by hand or use/rent a power rake to do it more effectively. The best time to apply Moss Control is in the spring between March and April.
Fertilizing your Lawn
Winter is a time when the lawn does not need to be given any fertilizer. You will not need to fertilize your lawn again until the spring when it starts to grow again.
Lime should not be applied during winter either. An excess of lime too late in the season can cause diseases on your lawn.
