How to Care for Your Lawn this Winter

Avoid mowing your lawn during winter to keep some extra length on your turf. This allows extra leaf area for photosynthesis, keeping your lawn healthier and greener. If you do need to mow, ensure you raise the height of the mower to avoid removing too much of the leaf blade.

If you're noticing small discoloured, brown/pink or even dead patches of grass, it's time to act now as these can be signs of a lawn disease known as Winter Fusarium or Fusarium Patch (Microdochium nivale). It's common in lawns that are well watered, have a thick layer of thatch, and soils are high in nitrogen. The fungus develops when night temperatures are low and can be exacerbated when there is water sitting on the leaf blades.

If you notice lawn diseases (Brown Patch, Dollar Spot, Fusarium or Helminthosporium only) creeping in during winter, treat with Yates Mancozeb Plus Garden Fungicide and Miticide.

To help prevent disease, the best method is to manage plant health and nutrition. A healthy lawn is less likely to be susceptible to disease. Avoid using lawn fertilisers high in nitrogen, especially in autumn, and instead, focus on applying a complete fertiliser, like Yates Dynamic Lifter Lawn Food for nourishment.

Thatch can be a breeding ground for spores. Lawn care that reduces thatch build-up such as de-thatching in spring or simply mowing with a catcher can reduce disease incidence.

During winter, lawns aren't regularly watered so when rainfall does occur, it can be met with hydrophobic soils that result in water sitting on the surface. Using a soil wetting agent such as Yates WaterWise Soil Wetter Concentrated will improve water penetration and benefit the health of the lawn.

Winter allows weeds to quickly take over weakened lawns. These include weeds like Bindii, Clover, Dandelions, Capeweed, Thistles, and Winter Grass.

Bindii is an important weed to highlight as it typically emerges in April and continues to grow until spring/summer when it produces seeds. The seeds have sharp spikes that can attach to shoes or feet, causing discomfort. It is recommended to treat Bindii in June-July to prevent its spread and enjoy a comfortable lawn in the summer.

Yates' range of Lawn Weed Control can help prevent broadleaf weeds such as Bindii, Clover, Dandelion, Capeweed, Cudweed and Thistles. Products are available in both granular, ready-to-use-spray and hose-on applications to suit your lifestyle.

Winter Grass is a lime-green weed that grows in tufted clumps on lawns. It is an annual weed that grows in autumn, thrives in winter, and sets seeds in spring, or earlier if weather is warm. It is easily noticeable in warm season grasses as the greenest patch in the lawn. Winter grass spreads easily due to its ability to produce a large number of seeds, and can be found in Australia and many other parts of the world.

Small infestations of winter grass can be removed by hand, but larger infestations may require the use of Munns Professional Winter Grass Killer. This product comes in a hose-on pack and is designed specifically for killing early winter grass seedlings. It also acts as a pre-emergent herbicide, providing protection against future winter grass growth for 2-6 months, with longer effectiveness in cooler climates. If new seedlings appear, re-apply the spray as needed. 

Over-watering your lawn during the winter months can encourage disease. Unless it looks very dry and leaves are curling, it's a good idea to significantly reduce the watering of your lawn during the cooler months. If you do need to water, do it in the mornings so the lawn has time to dry off during the day rather than staying damp all night.

Frost is the water in your grass blades freezing, so walking over it results in these grass blades snapping under your feet. So, keep off the grass! This damage will be seen initially as black marks and later brown dead leaf. When you have a light frost, it is possible to help the plant by applying a light application of water before the sun rises; this can remove the frost quicker and help the plant deal with the shock/stress of the temperature. If the frost is heavy or the morning is still cold, do not apply more water as this can just add water that gets frozen, significantly increasing the problem.

Many grasses lie dormant over winter, so there is no need to feed for the most part of the season. For you to get the best from your fertiliser, the lawn needs to be waking up. Late August or early September is the perfect time to feed your lawn. This ensures there are enough readily available nutrients in the soil to help it start growing well when spring arrives. Yates Dynamic Lifter Concentrated Lawn Food is a complete lawn fertiliser that provides both fast acting nutrients and slow release organics. Double the strength of our Yates Dynamic Lifter Lawn Food, it has added potassium to promote strong healthy lawns, preparing them for the upcoming lawn activities and the stressful summer heat.