December Lawn Care Tips: Protecting Your Grass This Winter

Winter can be a challenging time for lawn care, especially in December when the cold sets in.

Unlike the active growing seasons of spring and summer, winter lawn care focuses on protection and maintenance.

Maintaining your lawn during winter not only preserves its aesthetics but also sets the stage for robust growth in the spring.

The key benefits of winter maintenance on your lawn are:

• Enhanced Disease Resistance: Regular winter maintenance helps prevent diseases that thrive in cold, damp conditions.
• Weed Control: A well-maintained lawn in winter is less likely to have issues with weeds come spring.
• Better Recovery in Spring: Winter care ensures your lawn is ready to grow vigorously once the warmer weather returns.

This guide offers practical and effective tips for maintaining your lawn during the cold month of December.

5 Key Winter Lawn Care Tips

Below is a quick guide to 5 key lawn care tips for maintaining your lawn during the cold weather in December:

1. Clear leaves and debris from your lawn: Regularly remove fallen leaves / debris from your lawn to prevent them from suffocating the grass.
2. Only mow your lawn if necessary: Monitor the temperatures and if signs of growth you can trim your lawn if you feel necessary. To avoid damage do not cut your lawn if its wet or frosty.
3. Control Moss: It is important to control any moss within your lawn by following our moss treatment plan below.
4. Feed your Lawn: Use a specialised Autumn/ Winter Fertiliser to feed your lawn with the essential nutrients to help it withstand the cold weather.
5. Stay off your lawn in the wet and frosty conditions: Protect your lawn from winter damage by minimizing foot traffic, avoiding excessive weight, and staying mindful of freezing temperatures.

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Can I Mow My Lawn In December?

Typically you will not need to cut your grass in December as grass growth slows right down in the cold temperatures or stops completely if temperatures drop really low.

However, if there are milder temperatures and your grass is showing signs of growth then you can go ahead and give your lawn a light trim providing the ground isn’t waterlogged or frozen.

Mowing your lawn too short in the winter can expose it to damage as the grass growth will be slow and it will take longer to recover.

Just a light tidy up will be sufficient here aiming to trim no more than a third of the grass blade length.

Can I Feed My Lawn In December?

It is important to use a specialised Autumn/ Winter feed when feeding your lawn in the colder weather conditions.

Such feeds generally contain a balanced mix of nutrients that focus on root development and disease resistance rather than lush, rapid growth.

It is important to opt for a slow-release balanced fertiliser during the colder months to ensure your lawn gets the right level of nutrients to last through the cold weather.

Our Autumn/ Winter feed contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium which are some of the key nutrients needed for your lawn to keep it lush and healthy.

This feed is also non toxic making the granules pet and child friendly.

Tip: Avoid feeding your lawn if there is a frost as the grass won’t be able to absorb the nutrients.

Please read more on the Benefits of feeding your lawn going into the winter period.

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Can I Scarify My Lawn In December?

While scarification is beneficial to your lawn some months of the year, scarifying during the colder months can do more harm than good.

During these times, grass growth slows down significantly due to lower temperatures and shorter days.

Scarifying a lawn in this dormant state can lead to weakened grass that struggles to recover, making it more susceptible to diseases and winter damage.

Furthermore, the exposed soil after scarifying can also be more prone to weed invasion and erosion, especially in adverse weather conditions. Therefore, it’s advisable to perform scarifying during the growing season when the grass can recover quickly and fully so you should wait till early spring to scarify.

Can I Aerate My Lawn In December?

Aerating your lawn in December is also not advised at this time of year

By perforating the soil water can enter and freeze in the ground causing it to heave and become uneven. It’s also likely the lawn is too wet or frosty and any heavy work like aeration could result in a mud bath!

For the same reason as why we don’t scarify, we also do not aerate in winter as the risk of damage is high and the grass growth is slow so repairs will take a long time.

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How Do You Treat Moss In December?

Controlling moss in your lawn, especially during the damp and cold month of December, requires a combination of preventive and active measures.

Here’s how you can effectively manage moss in your lawn:

• Improve Drainage: Moss thrives in damp, poorly-drained soils. Aerate your lawn in Spring / Autumn to improve drainage and reduce waterlogging, which is a common cause of moss growth.
• Adjust Mowing Height: Keep your grass at a healthy height. Avoid cutting it too short as this can weaken the grass, giving moss an opportunity to establish.
• Maintain Soil pH: Test your soil’s pH and adjust it if necessary. Moss often grows in acidic soil, so liming your lawn can help if the pH is too low.
• Enhance Sunlight and Air Flow: Prune overhanging branches and remove debris to increase sunlight and air circulation, both of which are vital for reducing moss growth.
• Use a Moss treatment: If moss is already present, use a moss treatment and apply it according to the manufacturer’s instructions for best results.
• Rake Out Dead Moss: After treating your lawn with a moss killer, rake out the dead moss. This will also help to remove thatch and improve air flow to the soil.

These steps collectively combat moss and enhance your lawn’s vitality.

Consistent lawn care maintenance practices all year round will help get Get rid of moss from your lawn.

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