Autumn Lawn Care Preparation For Winter

As soon as autumn begins and leaves start to fall, lawn care becomes an increasingly important task to prepare for the winter. Shorter days with less light come in stark contrast to the light filled summer months. The yearly cycle of gardens regenerating comes to an end as the temperatures get colder and the winter sets in before it all begins again.

Lawn care should be at the top of the list for lawn gardeners to ensure that lawns get the best chance of making it through the cold, heavy winter. A small lawn care jobs list will ensure that lawns will survive these tougher circumstances.

Firstly, it’s really important to free the lawns surface from the smattering of leaves and twigs that have fallen on windy days. Windy conditions may increase throughout the autumn and this can lead to an increase tree debris. Wet areas will form below fallen tree debris if it’s not removed causing lawn damage.

The second thing a gardener responsible for lawn care should try to achieve is to make sure that the lawn has been raked (or scarified) using a lawn rake specifically designed for the purpose. During the summer, mowing the lawn can often leave a layer of ‘thatch’ on the soil surface from the grass that has been cut. The thatch is bad for lawns because it prevents rainwater soaking away into the soil, creating damp and wet areas prone to disease. Grass can also be prevented from forming properly.

Lawn care can also be a useful drainage aid. When a lawn is used a lot, compaction can be caused which is a problem. This form of lawn care is often called aeration and is usually achieved by the process of spiking. Using a garden fork, holes can be driven into the lawn during the autumn which can help increase its ability to drain water and get more air. Although this seems quite a drastic measure, lawn care experts recommend this routinely and no damage will be done to the lawn.