7 tips for looking after your lawn in winter
Press enquiries
If you are a journalist with a media enquiry, please contact our Press Office by email at pressoffice@ecotricity.co.uk
For all other general enquiries, please call 01453 756 111 or email home@ecotricity.co.uk.
Keeping your lawn looking fresh throughout winter can be a bit of a daunting task, so we asked Adam Witchell, Head Groundsman at Forest Green Rovers, the world’s greenest football club, for his top tips.
Feed the lawn
Once winter hits you’ll find that most granular fertilizers (fertilizers in the form of solid granules) won’t work because the ground and air temperature is too cold. The best solution is to apply some iron and seaweed (in liquid or granular form). This tonic for turf helps to reduce plant stress, and hardens grass to protect it throughout the colder months.
Keep off the grass!
Try to rest the lawn as much as possible during winter by keeping off the grass, especially when it is wet or frosty. When it’s cold, the grass plants aren’t actively growing, so they won’t repair themselves until spring if they get damaged.
No mow
Only mow the lawn if it’s absolutely necessary, and don’t mow it at all if heavy frosts are expected or if the ground is very wet.
Make a rake for it
Use a light rake or brush to keep the lawn free of leaves and debris. You can hire lawn vacuums or sweepers from local garden centres or DIY stores, although it’s better to keep off with heavier machines in the winter.
Get some air
You can help your lawn to be healthier by aerating it – making small holes in the grass to allow air, water and nutrients to penetrate the roots. You can aerate your lawn with a garden fork or spiking machine.
Open a can of worms
Worms improve the nutrient content of soil and help the soil structure get stronger. They’ll probably leave worm casts on top of your lawn – these look like mini mole hills, but they’re actually the waste soil that passes through worms as they move around. Just let them dry and sweep them up with a stiff brush.
MOT your mower
Use the winter as an opportunity to service or replace your mower ready for spring. Make sure the blades are in good condition and stay sharp.
Don’t forget – the more you take care of your lawn through the colder months, the better the habitat it will provide for beetles, bugs and butterflies in the warmer months. You can also do your bit for nature by switching to our green mobile phone provider, Ecotalk – find out more here.
Similar articles
Guest blog: Becoming a sustainable business – closing the value-action gap
Those organisations which have successfully rewired themselves to embed sustainability into the heart of what they do, instead of it being ‘on top of’ what they do, are accessing new opportunities and strengthening their economic positions as a result.
Climate change - can we fix it? Yes, we #CAN(Bill)
With a general election around the corner, we urgently need parliamentary candidates to back the Climate and Nature Bill (formerly Climate & Ecology Bill). That’s why we’re supporting our friends over at Zero Hour in their mission to make this happen.
Earth Day 2024: Planet vs Plastics
This Earth Day, we’re joining the call to demand a 60 percent reduction in the production of all plastics by 2040. To do this, the world needs to stop making single-use plastics by 2030 and commit to funding innovative technologies to replace them.