What Not to Do to Your Lawn This Winter

Four Things to Hold Off On Until Spring

Put these jobs on pause once the cooler months arrive and pick them back up when growth kicks off again in spring.

• Skip the scalp and dethatch Scalping and dethatching are great in spring and summer because your lawn grows back quickly and benefits from the improved airflow, drainage and nutrient access. In winter, growth slows to a crawl and the lawn simply cannot repair itself fast enough. Hold off until the warmer months before giving it a hard low mow or mechanical dethatching.
• Leave top dressing for warmer weather Top dressing improves soil nutrients, levels out uneven patches and helps manage thatch over time. Done in winter though, the material sits on top of slow-growing grass for weeks, blocking light and potentially smothering it. Wait until spring when your lawn is actively growing and can push through the dressing quickly. Sandy loam works well for levelling and soil improvement, while straight sand suits top dressing for drainage.
• Ease off supplemental watering Established lawns in our Northern NSW winters generally get enough moisture from rainfall alone. Adding extra irrigation when grass is growing slowly means the soil stays damp for longer without drying out between sessions, which creates ideal conditions for fungal disease. Only water if you see obvious signs of stress, wilting, loss of colour or footprints that do not bounce back. If you do need to water, do it early in the morning.
• Swap granular fertiliser for liquid Granular fertilisers release nutrients slowly and work best when the lawn is actively growing and can absorb what is on offer. Applying them in winter means nutrients sit in the soil while your lawn is largely dormant, which is wasteful and can cause problems. If your lawn looks a little flat during winter, a liquid fertiliser or liquid soil conditioner is a gentler option that delivers a light boost without overwhelming a slow-growing plant.