Winter warmers
There are a few lawn jobs you can do that will keep you warm if you still want to be outside in the fresh air. Lawn edges can be tidied up using a half-moon tool or edging shears. You can adjust turf levels by cutting and peeling back the grass and adding soil underneath, using soil that is similar to what exists.
Alternatively, you can top dress depressions, but be careful not to smother the grass and suffocate it. Top dressing in increments over time will help level the lawn. Waterlogging can be a problem at this time of the year and you can alleviate it by spiking and aerating, brushing a mix of sharp sand and loam into the holes when the lawn dries out. Look out for any signs of disease in the grass. Fusarium patch (snow mould) is a typical example and quite common though treatable with a suitable fungicide.
Scarification in spring and avoiding early spring fertiliser, especially any containing nitrogen (N), is a good start to clearing it. Ridding the lawn of leaves and other debris – and by that include dog toys, bones and old tennis balls buried in the longer grass of winter into spring – is good, not only for the health of the grass but also the cutting blades on the mower or garden tractor.
Talking of which, you have had all your power equipment serviced, or not? Time to get those blades honed and sharpened, as the first mow will suddenly be not far away. One last thing, keep off the grass when it’s frosty. Walking on the lawn causes ‘frost burn’ and the footprint damages the cells of the frozen grass.
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