Hi Joe,
Autumn is the prime time to gear your lawn up for winter. The better you can get your lawn looking in autumn, the better it will be in winter. Once we arrive in winter its all too late to do anything. We�re not talking about a lot of work here either � most of its just understanding how your lawn works.
I would have to say that the most important thing that you can do in autumn is to fertilise your lawn, but not with just any old fertiliser. You�ll need one with high potassium and high phosphorous and that generally means a mineral type fertiliser rather than an organic one. I can recommend one called Paul Munns Emerald Green.
These two elements do very important things for your lawn, namely
Phosphorus (P):�Promotes strong root development and winter hardiness. It helps grass withstand environmental stress. Grass well supplied with phosphorus is less likely to become diseased.
Potassium (K):�Reduces transpiration (loss of water through the blades), so grass needs less water when it has enough potassium. It strengthens leaf blades, enabling grass to recover from heavy foot traffic, and helps grass withstand cold stress.
Lawns that are well supplied with nutrients are better able to cope with the rigours of winter. They will stay greener longer and stand up to frosty conditions better. They will also fight off some of the common fungal diseases more effectively.
Prior to applying you fertiliser, spray out a liquid wetting agent. Not only is it helpful in delivering the nutrients to the roots of the lawn, it will help you best take advantage of Autumn rains. When your soil dries out over summer, it often becomes non wetting meaning it repels water. This means that when the rain does come, it rolls of or doesn�t soak in evenly. Wetting agents solve that problem immediately making your lawn a happy one when the sky opens up.
The next thing to pay attention to is the way you maintain your lawn. It is important to raise your mowing height by about 10mm after Easter. By doing this you reduce the likely hood of scalping your lawn through winter. Scalping is where you dis-colour your lawn by mowing it too short. While this won�t pose a problem during spring summer and autumn, if you scalp your lawn during late autumn and winter it won�t regain its colour till spring. Remember, what ever damage you do in winter wont repair till spring. On that note try to avoid heavy traffic on your lawn during late autumn and winter.
