‘Looks terrible’: Use the ‘mowing’ trick to avoid ‘choking’ your lawn in winter

Daisy Payne provides advice on lawn care over winter

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Gardeners will need to care for their lawn correctly to keep their grass thriving all year round as the focal point of their garden. While it is true that lawn growth slows down in winter, this doesn’t mean that the grass completely stops growing. Preparing the lawn for spring is crucial if you want to see new, healthy growth. 

David Truby, lawn care expert and Managing Director of Greensleeves spoke exclusively to Express.co.uk about the biggest mistakes gardeners make when it comes to caring for their lawn, which includes a “mowing” trick to avoid “choking” grass in winter.

He said: “The first mistake people make during the winter months is not mowing their lawn.

“People often won’t mow the lawn enough over winter with many people putting the mower away in autumn – which is often referred to as the ‘last cut of the year’ – and getting it out again sometime in spring.”

It is often a misconception that the grass should be left alone during winter.

Although there is much slower growth in winter, grass blades still grow at this time.

David explained how failing to mow the grass in winter can be “dangerous” for two reasons.

He said: “As a lawn care expert, I would recommend that you mow your lawn at least once a month to prevent the lawn getting too long over the winter months, which is damaging for two reasons.

“More moss occurs over winter because grass faces harsher climates and more moisture over the winter days. 

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“A consequence of this is that the moss will eventually ‘choke’ out the grass completely.”

Not only does moss ruin the aesthetic appearance of the lawn, but it also negatively impacts the health of the grass. 

Moss suffocates the grass by competing for growing space.

It also prevents essential water and nutrients from reaching the grass roots by absorbing them on the surface.

The second reason the lawn pro gives is that it “looks terrible”.

David said: “When people come to mow their ‘long grass’ in the spring, it looks terrible and becomes hard to treat. 

“Remember, cutting your lawn regularly at the correct height will encourage healthier growth from the roots to the tip.”

Cutting long grass isn’t as simple as pushing the mower, as gardeners can risk clogging the machine or even worse, damaging the lawn itself.

That’s why it is important to keep cutting grass and the same height each time to avoid this hassle.

The second mistake David noted that gardeners do is leaving leaves scattered on the lawn.

He said: “Gardeners make the mistake of leaving leaves on the lawn from autumn through to winter. 

“This means the grass gets smothered and dies in patches through lack of light and air. 

“By the time spring comes around, the grass has been left damaged and very patchy and unsightly looking.”

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