Frost on your lawn: how to avoid Springtime woes through Winter damage.

A serene winter garden. Frost glistening on tree branches. Crisp fresh snow, robins and red berries on holly. It’s a beautiful image, and one we all hope to enjoy in our gardens this winter. But there’s more going on beneath that picturesque frost.

Behind the Christmas-card vignette, your winter garden scene is hiding a worrying secret: all that ice and snow could be harming your precious lawn. Like dogs and gym memberships, lawns are not just for the festive season: it’s a year-round commitment. So how can you stop your turf from succumbing to an icy demise that’ll have you wringing your hands once Jack Frost has packed up and left?

Avoid Lawn Overfeeding

Promoting sudden growth will leave delicate new shoots susceptible to cold weather- so hold off on heavy feeding with fertiliser or compost until the Spring.

Aerate Your Turf

Aerating your lawn (the process of puncturing the surface with lots of tiny holes) allows for much improved drainage, stops the soil becoming too compacted and lets air circulate to the roots.

Stay Off the Grass!

Walking across the lawn while it’s frosty or under snow inflicts damage on your grass from which it which will take a long time to recover. Avoid having too much traffic by people or pets across it.

Mowing

In the right conditions light mowing can be helpful for stimulating growth. However longer grass benefits from insulation from frost, so read the situation based on your local weather reports. Be careful not to get too enthusiastic with any trimming, and bear in mind when you’re finished that the lawn is best left alone- put the mower away for the winter (after a good clean & service, ready for next year).

Plan for Spring

Once the weather warms up in the new year, the hard work will begin! As there is less proactive lawn care to do in the winter, a productive use of time would be to research and plan ahead- so you can get the most from your garden come summer.

Keep your lawn tidy

Clear your lawn of debris as the winter progresses. Leaves and twigs can be swept up with a light rake, while larger bits such as branches will need to be collected and binned or composted.

If you’ve spent the summer watching your lawn mature into a lush green paddock then you’ll find these tips handy to ensure that your good work doesn’t go to waste as the weather turns colder.

Clear the debris

The garden rake is the most important tool for your lawn during autumn. It might be a thankless task, but keeping your garden turf clear of debris is essential to its health – particularly if it’s newly laid. Leaving the leaves on the lawn causes damage as they rot over the wet winter, releasing pathogens which can cause disease.

Don’t cut your garden lawn turf too short

If your lawnmower is on wheels then you’ll probably be able to adjust the height of the cut. For October mowing you only want to level the turf off, ensuring that the grass is still a couple of inches long. Once there’s a ground frost and the temperature dips below zero then it’s time to put the mower away until spring.

Treating and Feeding isn’t just a summer chore

There are a range of products that will help feed and treat your turf, but it’s important that you choose an autumn specific treatment to deal with the seasonal issues. Many products will feed, weed and de-mould all in one. All you have to do is spread the pellets and then rake the dead debris from the ground two weeks later. Avoiding nitrogen rich feeds is essential, as this encourages soft growth that will be at risk of frost damage.

Aerating your lawn and top dressing

If you wish to aerate your lawn then the autumn is the time to do it. Spiking the turf in a uniform manner will help drainage and make it less likely to succumb to fungus. Autumn is also the best time to top dress your lawn. You can buy a range of ready mixed products, but it’s more cost effective to create your own mix from three parts sandy loam, six parts sharp sand and one part compost. You’ll want 2kg per square metre of turf.

Carry out garden turf repairs in the autumn

If any of your garden turf has taken a beating during summer months then autumn is the time to patch it up. Whether it’s a simple reseed or full scale re-turf the grass will have time to establish itself over winter. You can buy turf from turf growers and calculate the amount of you need using our turf calculator.

Lay stepping stones to protect your lawn

Once you’ve prepared your lawn turf for the long winter laying stepping stones is the best way to protect it. Depending on the size of your lawn stepping stones aren’t too expensive and the task of laying them is one that even the most novice gardener can manage.

Simply place the stone on the turf in the desired location, cut the turf around the stone with an edging blade and remove the sod. The stone will fit perfectly in place and your lawn will be protected until it starts growing again next spring.

Following these autumn lawn care tips should help your garden be greener than ever when the weather warms up again next spring.

Scarifying generally refers to the process of cutting and removing debris from a lawn with the use of a scarifier. Raking can achieve the same results but is much more time consuming and labour intensive. Initially scarifying often has a detrimental effect on the appearance of a lawn, but if you do it correctly it should recover and look healthier than ever.

It is crucial to know when to scarify so that your lawn can repair as quickly as possible following this procedure. Even if you do a good job scarifying, doing it at the wrong time of year or in unfavourable conditions can damage your lawn permanently; it is essential to time it correctly.

Firstly, it is important to consider the current state of you lawn. If your lawn is not growing well prior to scarifying, it is a relatively useless course. If, however, your lawn is lush and you have good growing conditions, scarifying can be extremely beneficial for both thatch and moss lawns.

You should aim to perform scarifying before a period of warmth, sun and precipitation; seeking to avoid excessive cold, heat or drought. Autumn is the prime time for heavy scarifying; late August to early September is usually the most recommended time for a deep rake.

Heavy scarifying is going to expose the soil and thin your lawn which in turn creates an ideal seed bed. The advantage of a perfect seed bed is that new and improved grass seed can burgeon, which is what you want, but the disadvantage is that unwanted weed and weed grass seeds can also grow.

By performing the scarifying process in Autumn, you should successfully avoid the bulk of the years weed seeds. This is why it is favourable to perform heavy scarifying or raking at this time of year. Intense scarifying should be limited to dense thatch or moss lawns that are sure to recover from a deep infiltration.

Whilst it is recommended to scarify your lawn at the start of Autumn, you can rake and lightly scarify at the beginning of Spring, generally in April. Light de-thatching of moss lawns in April, just as temperatures are starting to rise, should improve growth and recovery before the more intense heat of summer relinquishes this chance for growth.

If you have a shady or troublesome area of lawn, a deep scarify of these areas should be avoided. Instead, perform a light spring scarify for areas where the lawn is weak. The same applies for patches that are under trees, as the optimum time for grass seed to grow in these areas is in Spring. If you missed the chance to perform a heavy scarify in Autumn, a light rake in April time can be highly beneficial if you have a strong lawn.

Make sure your lawn is ready for scarifying by gradually cutting down grass length for a week or two beforehand, to prepare the grass and to allow air to get deeper into the turf. A day or two before you plan to scarify, trim the lawn as close as possible, but avoid scalping. Weeds in your lawn should be removed up to a week preceding. Make sure to have optimum soil moisture to allow the lawn to recover quickly after scarifying, and perform scarifying when the grass is dry with no dew present.

If you are looking to buy turf online, or would like advise about which turf would best suit your gardening needs, Contact Turf Growers and one of our expert team of advisers will be happy to help.

There is no finer feeling than being out in the garden in the sunshine on a hot day and you want your lawn to be in tip top shape to make the most of the unpredictable British weather. Intense sunny spells can have a damaging effect on your lawn so keep it in shape and looking pristine this summer with a few useful tips to avoid any summer lawn issues.

If you lawn is not getting enough natural moisture you may have a dull and tired looking lawn by the time that summer rolls around. One way to avoid this is to keep using a quick release synthetic fertiliser. In effect this tans the grass making it a richer green colour. Such a product should not be used to replace regular fertiliser application but can be used as a one off application a few days before you would like your lawn to be perfectly green. Your grass should stay a nice bright green colour for a few weeks and then you can look to reapply as and when you like.

Shady areas are always a problem in summer and in troublesome shady patches it is often the case that grass will not grow, or that it will grow thinly at best. A way to combat this is to eliminate or reduce the cause of the shade. This obviously may not always be possible, but it is an idea to thin tree branches that are shading an area if you can do this. You can also help grass to grow by overseeding in shady areas.

Another summer lawn issue that you may have to contend with is an invasion from grubs. A grub invasion will show up towards the back end of summer or at the beginning of autumn. The primary symptom of a grub infestation is dried out patches of grass that you can pull up easily. There may also be white larva present on healthier patches of lawn next to the dead patches as the bugs seek more fresh grass to destroy. It is always a good idea to use a lawn product to control grubs, usually best applied in June or July time. If you forget to do this, however, there are pesticides available that will control grubs that have hatched and that are already at work.

One last summer lawn issue you may face is dogs urinating on your lawn. What makes this a summer lawn issue is because dog urine has a high concentration of nitrogen salts and these corrode the lawn leaving dried out patches where dogs have used a regular spot. A way to prevent this occurring is to throw water down on the area immediately after the dog has gone about its business. If the area has already become an issue you can buy turf large enough to fit the area and press it down firmly to cover up bare patches. Water the turf grass frequently so that it is moist and do this until it roots.

Keep on top of your lawn this summer with a few inexpensive and simple tricks and you can then be enjoying the sunshine on a beautiful, lush green lawn.

Moss can be a lawn-ruiner if it appears in your garden, but some careful planning and care can remove it and prevent it from returning if you are vigilant. 

Moss is caused by many things, it could be overuse or it the garden is new, the foundations of the garden could be poor. This could mean that the lawn turf has poor drainage or has been mowed to close. Waterlogging, shady areas and sparse coverage of turf in your garden can also encourage moss to grow and spoil the image of a pristine lawn that you worked so hard to achieve. 

Luckily the moss is relatively easy to get rid of and can be removed with some TLC and few chemicals. 

If you don't want to use chemicals on your lawn turf then there are ways to get rid of moss manually, although these generally take more effort. One of the most popular methods is scarification, which is where you vigorously rake the lawn to remove the moss. This will take a lot of turf to but should successfully remove the moss from the lawn. This method is best used in spring when the moss is still growing and will be easily removable or in autumn when the moss os dying and is weak. If you have a large lawn then it is possible to hire a scarifier to take the hard work out of the equation. 

The chemical way is the easiest way of destroying moss and will also bring little to no harm to the rest of your lawn turf. There are products available that target the moss exclusively, turning it black over the space of a few days or weeks until it can be raked out with ease to leave your turf looking great again.

It is worth considering the possible reasons for the moss before committing to choose a chemical treatment. Choosing a treatment that has fertilising properties will be beneficial to helping your garden turf thrive if the moss could have been caused by lack of vigour.

Always read the instructions thoroughly on the pack of the mosskiller as different kinds require different techniques. Some require watering after a number of hours and some require many treatments over a short period of time to be fully successful.

The UK has seen unexpected heavy amounts of snow during winter time in recent years. If you want to keep your lawn looking healthy in the spring, preparation for snow is essential. If you live in an area commonly affected by snow, find out what types of turf will best stand up to the abuse of winter weather, visit our winter turf guide.

During heavy snowfall a large amount of weight is placed upon your lawn in a short space of time. The turf is also starved of the light that it needs to carry out photosynthesis, and it may become malnourished and brown. If your lawn is frequently walked on when it’s covered in snow, this can break down the cells in the grass and cause lasting damage.

If the lawn is covered for an extended period of time, it’s also likely to suffer from snow mould. This occurs when a section of grass has been covered for an extended period of time under snow; the conditions make it perfect for the fungus to survive in these conditions. The result is an unsightly discolouration to the area affected.  You can find out more information about the affliction in our snow mould and patch lawn problems guide.

When the snow melts there is also a danger of the turf becoming waterlogged, which may remain for a while if the spring is wet or if the soil is too compacted. By making sure your soil is properly laid you can avoid this. We have a great range of garden turf to choose rfom and we even have a guide on how to lay turf rolls well to keep your lawn looking it's best.

In order to prevent this from affecting your lawn, the best cause of action is to prepare it for cold weather in the autumn season. This is essential if you want to have a healthy green lawn in the spring. As the temperatures begin to cool in the autumn, lessen the amount that you mow the lawn (which should be growing at a slower rate anyway).

Reduce your mowing height and rake any dead leaves and plant material off as they fall (decaying leaves and plant matter are likely to develop moulds and fungi that will be very damaging to your lawn’s health. While your grass is clear, make sure you re seed any weak or dead areas of grass, and make sure any excess water is drained.

You have a few options when dealing with snow mould, you can use fungicides both before and after the mould occurs, but if you want to keep your lawn free from chemicals you can simply wait until the grass grows out and renews itself. You can speed up the process by raking, or alternatively you can replace the affected area with a new patch of turf.  For more information on winter care and maintenance, visit our winter lawn care guide.

Mowing is a necessary and simple practice to keep your lawn looking pristine, but it is often performed incorrectly leading to ruptured or destroyed garden turf.

Mowing may be an easy turf management process but it is one of the things most responsible for damaging lawns. There are certain things to consider ensuring you avoid abusing your turf when you mow.

Avoid infrequent mowing as it leads to excessive clippings at each occasion; conversely, mowing too frequently can leave grass shorter than it should be. The height of cut is important to recognise; shorter mowing means the plant may have to obtain food from its reserves in order to grow; insufficient mowing will leave your lawn turf looking ragged.  The total leaf surface that should be removed at each mowing should be between about a quarter and a third of the length of grass.

It is important when mowing that you have a fully working, sound mower and not what we call a ‘dull mower’. If you have ever cut your garden turf and it has become brown and discoloured this can usually be attributed to dull mowers with poor, run-down rotary or reel-type mechanisms. Make sure that you mower is sharp and properly adjusted before performing any kind of mowing on lawn turf.

Other issues to be wary of are ‘scalping’ and ‘washboard effect’. Areas with a steep gradient may cause you to cut closer on one side of the mower than the other because of the angle it is cutting at. This can leave uneven areas of turf if you try to mow crossways, a process known as ‘scalping’.  Lawn turf areas may develop wavy ridges through them with regular mowing; this ‘washboard effect’ can be limited by alternating directions in which you mow.

On the Turf Growers site you can read our blog for expert gardening hints, tips and advice and you can also buy turf of outstanding quality, made to last.If you do happen to damage your lawn whilst mowing, you can view our guide on how to lay turf for tips on recovering your garden's image.

With winter in full swing and the temperatures plummeting, you may thing that waiting until the weather warms up will be a better time to re-do your lawn. 

But in reality, winter is the perfect time to replace your lawn turf and to get your garden ready for the spring and summer. By completing all your renovations and having your new grass turf in place by the end of winter, you are one step ahead of everyone else who may only just be starting to do their work. 

Working on your lawn in winter is perfect because you are not using it. Nobody is sitting outside or playing on the grass when there is ice and frost around - of course if there's snow that's a different story. You can use this time where the lawn is not in use to make all the changes necessary to get your garden perfect for summer. 

Whether you want your garden completely re-landscaping for a new look, or you just want to update your turf grass, then you should start planning your winter work right away so it can all be completed and ready to flourish in the springtime.

You may find that many landscaping or gardening companies aren't very busy during the winter months so you might be able to get a good price for a big project, depending on the scale of work you require. Even if you only want small jobs doing, the companies will be glad of your business as their season is notoriously slow. 

If you don't want to hire an external company to lay your rolls of turf or rennovate your garden, it is easy enough to do yourself. Simply consult our guide on how to lay turf and you will be in the know and more than capable of doing it yourself. Bigger projects may require more work or even the hiring of tools depending on what you project involves, but laying your own lawn turf is simple enough. 

You can use our popular turf calculator to figure out exactly how many rolls of turf you need to cover your garden, or if you are unsure simply give us a call and we can help you work out the correct amount.

Our rolls of turf are perfect for families who need a hard-wearing surface that will still look great even when it is being played on regularly, get in touch with us today to see how we can help get your garden ready and waiting for spring!

Good facilities are fundamental to creating sporting opportunities and a more enjoyable sporting environment. A quality natural turf surface improves the participation of sport from community level right through to the professional game.

Synthetic turf, whilst useful for its all weather purpose, ultimately does not replicate the feel of playing on a proper grass surface. Well preserved natural turf provides sporting enjoyment for all major sports such as football, rugby and cricket; sports that can otherwise be ruined by poor playing surfaces.

Spending money on a great natural surface can reduce the frustration and expense of postponing fixtures and make sport more enjoyable for those performing and spectating. Well maintained natural turf surfaces are built to last, great to play on and can give considerable return on time and money invested.

Our blog guide gives advice on how to lay turf and handy tips and tricks for successful upkeep.

The type and strength of soil and the health of the grass are the factors upon which good natural turf is dependant. Our experts know that a sport like tennis or cricket requires a dry, compacted clay soil as ball bounce is crucial. In contrast, football and rugby are more suited to being played on very sandy soils that drain quickly.

All of our turf grass is incredibly hard wearing and if maintained properly can still look great even after it has been played on. Our turf is grown to the highest industry standards and cut to order so it is delivered fresh and ready to be laid.

TurfGrowers can give expert advice from experienced independent professionals at the start of a project to make sure you achieve and maintain an excellent playing surface; one that can last a number of years. Our turf grass can also be used to repair certain areas of pitch which may be damaged.

We have a range of turf to suit your needs and finances and can supply turf to you the next working day (when ordered before 1pm) or deliver it to you on a nominated day.

Try our new online turf calculator or contact us now if you need guidance or would like a quote.

The British Winter months are notorious for being cold, wet and miserable. Fortunately, your garden turf doesn't have to suffer every year. We've put together a list of great lawn grass varieties that will still look great during the coldest winters Britain can throw at them.

Fine Fescue Turf

This turf grows quickly and has the ability to blend well with other turf grass varieties. Its rapid growth means it can be a great solution to replanting lawns after you have re-done your garden as winter approaches. This turf grass is very fine - it's called Fine Fescue because it is the thinnest grass turf available on the market.

Fine Fescue is very hardy and will stand up to many types on use, making it an ideal play area for children or animals to run around on. This hardiness makes it ideal for gardens where you may not be able to avoid walking on the turf, such as having to go out to the bins or the shed.

Although droughts aren't usually an issue in the UK, Fine Fescue is able to survive in the driest of conditions. Once moisture is again available it will return to its usual deep green colour.

Fine Fescue has good disease and insect resistance, and its ability to blend well with other turf varieties means it can give an extra element of resistance to your lawn. It responds well to mowing and can tolerate a close mow even in winter; the clippings can even be left on the lawn as Fine Fescue doesn't form thatch if left un-gathered.

Kentucky Bluegrass Lawn Turf

This turf is the most popular variety with commercial properties and sports fields, and for good reason. Kentucky Bluegrass forms a stunning deep green colour and will withstand the coldest of conditions well.

Kentucky Bluegrass thrives in low temperatures, although it does have a relatively poor shade resistance. It makes up for this by keeping it's colour throughout the winter, even if it is regularly trodden on.

This lawn turf is perfect for Britain, withstanding the coldest of temperatures and climate variation. It can be stressed during the hottest months, especially when water is withheld. This can easily be countered by watering the lawn regularly in summer - once a week is plenty.

Kentucky Bluegrass turf may develop thatch in areas with a high Nitrogen content; have your soil tested before buying turf if you are unsure if this turf would suit your lawn.

Ryegrass Lawn Turf>

Ryegrass turf is renowned for being extremely easy to maintain and a rapid grower. The downside to this turf is that it generally prefers milder climes, but it can be mixed with Bluegrass or Fine Fescue to make it hardier.

When growth is at its peak in Spring and Fall this turf will bounce back quickly from a lot of wear and tear. It can withstand footfall and is frequently used as a playing surface for sports teams.

Ryegrass is also a great lawn turf to have for the summer months too, as it can withstand period of drought well. In the summer months the UK rarely has more than a month without rainfall, making this an ideal turf for your lawn.

Ryegrass turf will not thatch when cutting, which makes it much easier to maintain than other types of lawn turf. It does not thatch because the grass is thickened by tillers instead of rhizomes or stolons.

Tall Fescues Lawn Turf

Tall Rescue has the most extensive root system of many popular lawn turf varieties, making it extremely robust to periods without rainfall.

It is less cold hardy than other lawn turf types but it can be blended with turf such as Bluegrass or Ryegrass to create a hardier turf that can withstand the temperature fluctuations better than it can alone.

Tall Fescue turf is recommended by many playing field users and sports teams due to its tough wearability. Like Ryegrass turf, it has better regeneration ability in Spring and Fall when the turf is at its premium growth rate.

Tall Fescue turf requires plenty of water, around 0.5 to 1 inch every 3-5 days, making it relatively high maintenance although it's hardiness means that it will require less maintenance in the winter months when rainfall is much more common.

Don't forget you can use our turf calculator to work out exactly how much turf you need for your lawn. Turfgrowers provide high quality grass turf for all seasons.