Four crucial lawn tasks to complete now or risk dead lawn come spring

Four crucial lawn tasks to complete now or risk dead lawn come spring (Image: Getty)

The lawn often doesn’t need to be mowed over the winter months and to help protect it, there are four gardening jobs which can be done now.

This includes aeration, performing the last mow, laying new turf and clearing up leaves and debris from the lawn.

Jamie Shipley, gardening expert and managing director of Hedges Direct, said: “As winter edges even nearer, you might think that your garden needs less attention.

“In fact, this is one of the busiest moments in the gardening calendar, as you tidy, prune, move, and inspect existing plants, as well as plant and propagate a whole host of new plants and see to the lawn.”

All of the recommended jobs by the expert will help to protect the lawn when it is frosty and see it into spring.

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1. Aerate

The expert said: “If your lawn is prone to winter waterlogging, it can be a good idea to improve drainage by aerating in autumn.

“The simplest way of doing this is repeatedly spiking it as deep as you can with a garden fork, on a larger scale, using an aerating machine.

“A layer of sand brushed into the holes will help the effects last longer.”

2. Raise the height of lawnmower blades

If there is still mild autumnal weather where you live and are still mowing the lawn, make sure the lawnmower is set at a higher setting.

Lawn care calendar (Image: EXPRESS)

Grass will need to be in optimum health to withstand winter, and a higher cut allows this to happen.

3. Lay new lawn turf on mild, dry days

The gardening expert explained: “November can be a great time to lay turf, the wet weather tends to take care of irrigation, and it will have a few months to settle in before the arrival of any hot, dry weather.

“Simply avoid doing this on very wet or frosty days.” Also, make sure to avoid walking on any frosty lawn to avoid brown patches on it.

4. Clear up leaves and debris

This may feel like an endless task in autumn, but keeping on top of it will help to keep lawns free of decomposing lawns.

The pro noted: “However, instead of completely removing the leaves, I recommend raking them from your lawn and paved areas onto your flower beds.

“The fallen foliage is actually a great heat insulator and will protect the soil from becoming frozen in future cold snaps this winter.

“Wildlife also love leaf bundles as they can use them for nesting sites.”

If you don’t fancy doing this, leaves can be collected and placed in the compost, or they can be used to make leafmould.