Winter is a time when much of nature goes dormant, effectively hibernating to store any energy it has left. Grass is no different, so If your lawn becomes frosted, keep off it until the frost melts. The frost itself does not harm lawns, but if you walk on it you will see the foot print damage until the grass grows out and in winter this can take weeks. Truth be told, while it will recover it may never grow back to its former state. As lawn care professionals you will not find us walking on the lawns while there is a frost.
If the weather forecast suggests a hard frost overnight, it is not advisable to spray your lawns with iron late in the afternoon. The reason for this is that when the liquid iron is applied (as a moss control treatment) it should only make the moss go black, but if we have a frost the grass will go black as well. The frost is actually quite good for the soil by making it freeze and fragment. It also helps the roots of the grass plants by encouraging them to grow stronger as they adapt to the change in climate.
The climate seems to be changing and we don’t have many days when the grass is frosted for long periods, or we have to scrape the ice off our car windows. We advise that this is the time to just take a day off from the gardening chores, perhaps take some photos from the patio. But keep safe, that patio could be very slippery with ice!
If it’s early in winter and you’re expecting your first frost don’t forget to make sure your outside taps are well insulated. Burst water pipes can cause untold damage but can be preventable with a little forethought.
Other winter lawn tips:
- When conditions are not frozen or water-logged it is a good time to carry out aeration.
- Do not scarify in the winter.
- Carry out a winter mowing on a high setting if conditions are mild and the grass is growing.
- Keep leaves and debris off the lawn so it is not starved of light.
