Taking Care of Your Lawn in January

We've talked before about how its difficult to do any task that seems to beautify your garden in an English January. That is not to say that you cannot engage in constructive care for your garden. In January there is a few key tips to note.

Brush over any part of the lawn surface that has become covered with worm casts, using a besom or broom. Earth worms are of tremendous benefit to your garden - they are a vital part of soil and garden health. However, the casts that they can make on your lawn can be infuriating. You don't want to smear the casts into the lawn as this can cause slipperiness and, if they layer is too thick, it provides a perfect seedbed for weeds. Instead, brush them on a dry day. This means that it will be easier to distribute the fine soil evenly but thinly over the lawn.


Whenever possible, avoid walking on or working from the lawn when it is frosted or the ground is frozen. This is probably the cardinal rule of winter lawn care. If you break it, you can do a very great amount of damage in a very short amount of time and you may even encourage infections such as snow mould. If you absolutely have to cross the lawn, at least wait until the frost has cleared and the ground has thawed. If you are going to be working for an extended amount of time, lay down some planks or boards to distribute your weight evenly.

If the surface is not frozen, it may be worth carrying out a bit of temporary aeration using a garden fork. The purpose of this is to the movement and flow of air within the soil and relieve soil compaction. It will also aid irrigation. Do not attempt it if the soil is wet - this will only worsen the problem. Simply take your garden fork and plant holes at regular intervals. The ideal depth is 4 to 8 inches.