Lawns won't be 'brittle' in winter if gardeners do one job to 'strengthen' grass now

Lawns won't be 'brittle' in winter if gardeners do one job to 'strengthen' grass now (Image: GETTY)

Grass becomes brittle in cold weather for several reasons, including frost, freezing temperatures, and heavy foot traffic when the grass is frozen.

The most common causes of a brittle lawn in autumn are reduced growth—grass grows more slowly in cold weather, which weakens it because it cannot repair damage quickly—and moisture imbalances.

Excessive watering, heavy rain or a lack of proper drainage can cause freezing damage or drought stress on your lawn, but it is easier to prevent than many gardeners think.

And according to  John Marshall, a landscaping expert at Wenningdale Escapes, there's no time to waste with November just around the corner.

He told Express.co.uk: "Grass can become brittle in cold weather because when it's frosty, there is still a lot of moisture in the leaf. It can also get something called root shear, where you stand on it during the cold, and the roots can be sheared from the leaf.

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Gardeners should cease mowing their lawn when the growth stops (Image: Getty)

"A way to combat it is to scarify it before the winter and top dress with sand to remove any dead organic matter before the frost."

There are two ways to scarify a lawn. One involves using a scarifier that cuts vertically through the lawn and thatch and shallowly scores the surface of the earth. However, you can achieve a similar effect using just a rake, though there is a particular technique that warrants the best results.

According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), if you can't see the soil between the blades of grass in your lawn, then it will benefit from being scarified.

Simply rake the lawn vigorously with a spring-tined rake and focus on reducing losses of surface debris while taking care not to uproot the grass. Though much harder on your back and arms, manual scarification is much more gentle on grass, allowing for a quicker recovery - crucial in winter. 

Once the thatch and debris are gone from your lawn, John from Wenningdale Escapes suggests sowing new seeds. He urged: "Do an overseed in September, introducing a new plant to strengthen the sword."

John continued: "Usually, it would be best to sow seeds by the end of October; however, with the winters generally getting warmer, it is easier for the seeds to survive and even germinate over winter.

"While you won't get as much of a percentage surviving, you will help thicken the sword. Avoid doing it in the middle of winter when hard frosts might affect the seed - the best time is naturally, of course, still in autumn and into spring."

As for dodging brittle grass further into winter, John recommends avoiding going onto the grass in frosty conditions.

He claimed that this would "help reduce any extra damage to the grass", adding: "Additionally, you can raise the mower height so the leaf is left a bit longer, alongside putting autumn/winter feed on the grass to add extra nutrients throughout the cold months!"