Don't Ignore Your Lawn in Winter
After more than 40 years as a professional Greenkeeper, one thing I've learnt is that winter is often the most overlooked season for lawn care.
Every year, I see people pack away the fertiliser, mow less often and assume there's nothing to do until the weather warms up. While your lawn does slow down during winter, it still needs the right care to stay healthy.
Winter isn't about chasing rapid growth or carrying out major lawn renovations. It's about keeping your lawn healthy through the cooler months so it's in the best possible condition when the growing season returns.
There are a few simple things I continue doing every winter on my own lawn and the sports surfaces I manage and they make all the difference when spring arrives.
Winter Is About Building a Strong Foundation
While grass growth naturally slows and mowing becomes less frequent, lawn renovations are for the growing season, feeding your lawn, however, shouldn't stop.
A lot of people think winter is a time to forget about their lawn but in reality, winter brings its own challenges. Shorter days, increased shade, slower recovery, wetter conditions and in many parts of Australia, a greater risk of fungal disease can all place extra stress on your lawn.
That's why I don't stop feeding my lawn or the sports surfaces I manage through winter with liquid fertilisers. Consistent nutrition helps keep the lawn healthy, supports steady leaf growth, strengthens the plant against winter stress and builds a strong foundation for spring.
I continue feeding every 3–4 weeks using a quality liquid fertiliser, trace elements and kelp. Together, they help keep nutrients available to the plant, support healthy leaf growth and help the lawn cope with the challenges winter brings.
This is exactly why we created the My Lawn Co Healthy Leaf Bundle.
It combines THRIVE, REVIVE and ENRICH, bringing together liquid fertiliser, trace elements and kelp to support healthy leaf growth and keep your lawn in great condition throughout winter.
The best part is they can all be applied together in one application. It's the same proven formulation I continue to use as a professional Greenkeeper because it consistently delivers results.
Give Shaded Areas a Little Extra Attention
One of the most common questions I'm asked is how to improve shaded areas of the lawn.
During winter, shaded areas become more vulnerable. With shorter days and reduced sunlight, they grow more slowly, take longer to recover and are often the first parts of the lawn to show signs of stress.
My advice is simple—don't ignore them. I like to call it micro-managing the weaker areas. Rather than treating your entire lawn the same, recognise that some areas need a little more attention than others. Shade is one of those areas, especially through winter.
The first thing I do is raise the mowing height slightly in those areas. Leaving a little more leaf on the grass helps the plant capture as much of the available sunlight as possible, giving it the best chance to stay healthy through winter.
The second thing I do is increase my applications of liquid fertiliser, trace elements and kelp to every 2 weeks in those shaded areas. My Lawn Co. Healthy Leaf Bundle. Regular feeding helps keep the grass healthier through winter and gives those weaker areas the best chance of performing when the growing season returns.
Dog Wee Damage Doesn't Stop in Winter
Our dogs don't stop peeing in winter, and neither should we stop treating new urine burns with My Lawn Co. RESCUE Dog Wee Solution.
Dog urine acts like a burn. If left untreated, the grass will eventually die, leaving a bald spot.
Once you have a bald spot, you'll need to replace the grass, plug the area or wait for the surrounding lawn to slowly grow back over it. It's frustrating enough waiting for a bare spot to fill in during summer but in winter, when grass growth slows, it takes even longer. Before long, these bald spots can quickly add up, leaving your lawn looking patchy by the time the growing season returns.
That's why I continue using RESCUE throughout winter. By treating new dog urine burns early, you can help prevent the burn from reaching the roots and killing the grass, keeping your lawn in better condition through winter and giving it the best possible head start when the growing season returns.
If you notice a new yellow patch, apply RESCUE: New Yellow Patch → Spray → Let Dry → Water In, just as you would during the warmer months.
Using RESCUE Dog Wee solution in Wet Weather
A lot of people also ask if they should still use RESCUE when it's raining. The answer is yes.
RESCUE is designed to be watered into the soil after application. So if there is enough rain after application, the rain simply does the watering for you.
The only difference is that the temporary green dye may wash away sooner but that doesn't affect how the product works. The active ingredients are still washed into the soil where they need to be, so don't let a bit of rain stop you treating fresh dog urine patches.
When the rain stops you can reapply for the green dye to cover up the yellow spot.
Final Thoughts
Winter isn't the season to forget about your lawn—it's the season to protect it.
By continuing to regularly feed your lawn with liquid fertilisers, giving shaded areas a little extra care and staying on top of fresh dog urine burns, you'll keep your lawn healthier through winter and give it the best possible start when the growing season returns.
If you're looking for a simple winter lawn care program, the Healthy Leaf Bundle and RESCUE make it easy to keep your lawn healthy through winter and ready to thrive in spring.
I hope these tips help you keep your lawn looking its best this winter!
David Hall
Founder, My Lawn Co.
Professional Greenkeeper
