Now that it’s dark before 5pm, the days are colder and we are seeing a lot more rainy and windy weather, do you find it’s a struggle to get out in the garden? It’s wise to make the most of a nice day and get the grass cut, rake up fallen leaves & pick up any debris left from the high winds & storms which are a familiar part of winter weather. Here are our tips for looking after your lawn at this time of year.
- Raise the cutting height on your mower to avoid scalping the lawn and leaving bare patches in the grass. Try not to cut when the grass or soil are wet. Wet grass left underneath your mower becomes acidic and can rot the metal over winter. Also walking on the wet lawn compacts the grass and can leave ruts from the mower. It may seem obvious but please don’t use an electric mower on wet grass. Water & electricity do not go well together.
- Rake or pick up leaves from your lawn. While a few leaves can be useful for putting nutrients back into your soil, a larger amount can smother your lawn and left over winter, can create bare patches of grass and invite pests & diseases. Leaves are a great addition to the compost heap or can be turned into leaf mould by putting into nets and left to rot down, creating organic seed compost or soil conditioner.
- Aerating your lawn will help to relieve it of compaction from summer & autumn use. You can use a garden fork driven into the ground and raise the ground slightly to release the soil, this process should be repeated over the whole lawn and will improve the root structure of your grass by putting air into the soil, giving roots a chance to grow deeper & stronger. This task can also be completed in spring so could be started in the winter and finished when the weather improves.
- If you notice areas of lawn which are a high traffic area and get wet & boggy in the winter, consider laying stepping stones to protect the grass from dieback caused by foot traffic. Remember your lawn will recover from the cold, sodden conditions in the spring and you’ll be able to enjoy it again next year.
Lastly, it is a good idea to arrange a winter service for your garden equipment, ensuring it is ready to use in the spring. Fenland Spirit Services are happy to help with all lawnmowers, ride on mowers, chainsaws, rotavators and other garden equipment. We repair, service and sharpen your tools while sharing our knowledge and helping you keep your machinery in good working order. Get in touch to book your slot by calling on 0775 383 6499 or by emailing us on fenlandspiritservices@gmail.com
Some good news from Fenland Spirit Services:
Fenland Spirit Services is bouncing back! After a tough year where we put our staff on furlough for 3 months & went back to just Stu & Carol plus some help from our son Matthew, 15. We are delighted to share the news that we have obtained planning permission and with help from a grant from the Cambs & Peterborough Combined Authority we are currently building a new workshop on our site where we can socially distance our staff and go back to working full time. We thank all of our customers for their patience & support during this difficult year and look forward to the grass being greener in 2021.