From the
with Head Greenkeeper Spencer Cooper
The Winter Lawn Dilemma Is it time to let go of the perfect lawn? We ask Spencer for his advice .
If you've got cool season grasses on your lawn, like Ryegrass, Fescue, Brown top, the most common
Do we need to water our lawns at home during winter? No.
species, then typically once a week at a fairly high
What if it's cold? And we haven't had rain for a few days? Let the grass dry out and stress. It will go into a state of dormancy, and it will preserve itself until there is the next bout of rain. Don't water it because the more you can cause the grass to stress, the more it hardens and is better able to cope with tougher environmental factors such as frosts.
When you cut the grass in the winter should you
How often should we mow our grass in the winter? It depends on the grass species. We’ve got two different families of grass, warm season grasses and cooler season grasses. The warm season grasses will go into dormancy in winter, and if there is frost they'll stop growing altogether. You don't need to mow them. So it’s important to understand what grass you’ve got predominantly in your lawn.
cutting height is best - you don't want to cut it super short in winter.
leave the clippings on the grass? With cool season grasses which grow during winter it's best to try and leave the clippings if you can. The grass tops are full of nutrients that are important to the plants: carbohydrates and proteins and amino acids. So, when you can cut it, let the clippings fall back into the canopy as it'll compost itself and help feed the plant again in a natural, sustainable way, which is really good.
Let the clippings fall back into the canopy as it'll compost itself and help feed the plant again in a natural, sustainable way.
