Winter lawn care tips

Removing weeds

During winter, weeds take advantage of the lawn’s weakened state to fill every possible gap. Winter weeds germinate at lower soil temperatures, often coming in around April/Easter. Broad-leafed weeds can be relatively easily controlled with the help of a selective herbicide. This is the time for a weedkiller that removes invaders without causing damage to the lawn.

Typical examples of broad-leafed weeds are clover, dandelions, capeweed, clover and thistles. Traditional selective herbicides like Yates Turfix Lawn Weed Spray Concentrate containing the ingredients Mecoprop, MCPA & Dicamba work well with lawn types such as Fescue, Browntop, and Ryegrass.

Weed ‘n’ Feed

A simple way to remove weeds and fertilise the lawn at the same time is by using Yates Weed n Feed Double Action Hose On. The Yates Weed’n’Feed range includes hose-on and dry formulations, Yates Weed n Feed Double Action Granular. Check directions to make sure that the product is right for your grass. If you don’t know what sort of grass you have, take some samples to a horticulturist to have it identified.

Fertilising

Late August is the perfect time to feed the lawn and, these days, the availability of slow release lawn foods means this task is much easier than it used to be. Yates Lawn Fertiliser Granular is a good example of these new feeds. The specially-developed technology in its formulation means that it continues to release nutrients for three months.

Yates Dynamic Lifter Organic Lawn Food is another option for long-term feeding. It has the added benefit of improving the soil’s organic content. Organic content helps to breakdown clay soils , improves the soil life like earthworms therefore improving the soils porosity or drainage and air movement making it easier for your lawn to grow and root deeper in to the soil

Spiking and aerating

At the end of winter, soils often compacted, so the lawn will benefit from a good spiking. Do this by energetically pushing a fork as far as possible vertically into the soil or, if you’re really keen, hiring a mechanical aerator. If your soil type is clay based an application of Liquid Gypsum will help break up the clay, improving drainage and porosity.

Moss Control

If your lawn is not thick and healthy over Winter, the Moss can quickly take over your lawn. Late Winter to early Spring is an ideal time to keep the Moss in check. Yates Moss & Algae Hose On, is easy to apply and can be used on all surfaces, not just your lawn (we recommend test patching hard surfaces).