Great British rake off
can be tackled if you do it properly. Use a knife or weeding tool to remove any nuisances, such as dandelions, and make sure the root is removed properly to stop regrowth.
Winter is a perfect time to start edging the lawn, as the soil should be soft and easy to cut, as long as it is not frozen. Use a half moon edger to cut the turf against a flat board or string to ensure it is straight. For curved lawn edges, you may just have to hope you are skilled enough.
Finally, finish off by putting down stone, ceramic, plastic or wooden edging to give it that finishing touch.
Compaction and waterlogging are common problems in winter, especially with the onset of damp weather. To help prevent this, try spiking your lawn. Use a garden fork or lawn aerator to make small holes, ensuring they are fairly dense and evenly spaced every couple of inches, covering the entire surface.
This will aid drainage, allowing air, water and nutrients to penetrate the grass and circulate among the roots of the lawn, providing the strength it needs for winter.
For a badly compacted lawn, you may need to use a hollow-tine aerator, which will extract plugs of soil each time it comes out.
Stick these on the compost heap or brush them into the borders then fill the holes with garden sand as that aids the drainage.
You can also hire or buy motorised aerators. And look out for spiked over shoes – a bit like climbing crampons that you use to walk over the lawn while you are working in the garden.
When it comes to fertilising, you have a choice of granular or liquid feeds. Granular takes longer to break down, so may not be as fast acting as liquid, but the impact will last longer.
It is important to choose the right type of fertiliser for the occasion.
Autumn and winter versions are high in phosphates and potash, which boost strong root growth rather than encouraging grass leaves. They are normally also high in iron, which is great for deterring moss growth.
Spring fertilisers will encourage soft leaf growth. As a general rule of thumb, if your lawn is dry, use a liquid feed and a granular if it is wet or rain is forecast. However, if it does not rain for a few days after application, make sure you water in the granules using a hose so they don’t burn the grass.
With either type, be sure to apply as evenly as possible, following the maker’s instructions.
Finally, if you have any bumps in your lawn, simply cut an H-shape into the soil using a spade.
Fold the turf back from the centre, remove a little soil from underneath, then replace the turf.
Press the edges together and then water thoroughly.
Follow these tips and your lawn should come through the winter stronger than it started, putting it in a great position to come back to life in the Spring.