Winter Lawn Care
10 October 2022The job of a lawn care professional is to apply and carry out the necessary treatments that enable a lawn to be healthy and green. However, in order to achieve the perfect lawn, customers will need to help out too! If your winter lawn care services do not include mowing, edging and leaf sweeping then these must be done by the customer.
Keep off the lawn when it is frosty
Frost does not pose a significant threat to the long-term health of lawns. However, walking on a frosty lawn can do visible damage. At such low temperatures the grass plants are in a delicate state. Walking on the lawn will cause damage to the leaves and affect the overall appearance of the lawn. In addition, as the lawn is in a dormant state, the damage will take far longer than usual to be repaired.
Keep the lawn free from leaves and debris
This is my number one rule of winter lawn care. Light is in short supply during the winter. Any leaves or fallen branches lying on the lawn can quickly cause the grass underneath to die back. This will leave unsightly yellow or bare patches on the lawn. If sensible for the species in question, pruning overhanging trees and/or shrubs is a good idea to allow more light to reach the lawn. In addition to this, it is a good idea to move any garden furniture inside or away from the lawn.
Service the mower early
Hardly anyone is thinking about their garden machinery right now. However, this is the perfect time for your customers to service their mowers before the rush in the spring. Encourage them to check the sharpness of the blades regularly; a clean cut makes a lot of difference to the look and health of a lawn.
Don’t panic when it snows, or if it floods
Snow is not ideal for lawns but trying to remove it is likely to do more harm than good to the grass underneath. Tell your customers to sit back, enjoy the view and keep warm! Children will cause some damage when they play in the snow but it’s very difficult to deny them the experience, customers might as well make the most of it and go out and join in the fun!
Small floods will not permanently harm a lawn. If the water has drained within a week then the grass will return to normal relatively quickly. If the flood lasts longer than a week there may be a problem. In this case, you will need to investigate the lawn once the water is gone to assess the damage. Encourage customers to avoid walking on sodden lawns as this can easily damage and compact them.
Keep mowing!
“It’s had its last cut of the year” is a phrase we hear a lot when the temperature drops in late autumn. Although grass is dormant in the colder months it does grow albeit very slowly. Mowing is an important part of winter lawn care, your customers should raise the mowing height and keep mowing at least every other week when not frosty. A very small amount of clippings will be removed but the lawn will be left invigorated, neat and tidy.