Laying Lawn in Autumn and Winter

Laying lawn in autumn or winter has been seen as taboo. Most people think that a warm-season grass won’t survive unless it is laid in spring or summer.

Although it will take longer to establish, laying a lawn in winter can actually have some great benefits. Whether you’re laying a whole new lawn or just repairing some bare patches, you can make your yard look great without waiting for winter to be over.

Benefits of laying lawn in autumn and winter

Less water required. During the cooler months, lawns don’t need as much water. This is true for an establishing lawn as well. There are fewer hot days in autumn and winter and therefore the grass is not going to dry out as much as it would in spring or summer. That isn’t to say you won’t need to water at all, but the water required is almost halved.

Less mowing needed. By laying a lawn in autumn or winter, you won’t need to worry about mowing until spring rolls around. As the need lawn won’t fully establish until spring, it won’t continue to grow and will simply go into an idle state. It isn’t anything to worry about and you’ll notice your new lawn spring to life at the end of winter.

To give your new lawn the best shot it has in autumn or winter, there are a couple of things you should do. You should apply a starter fertiliser before laying the lawn and try to minimise foot traffic while it is still establishing.

Laying a lawn in autumn or winter will mean your yard isn’t just covered in dirt through those months. It will take longer for your lawn to establish but once you can’t easily lift the rolls, it will have grown enough for you to give it a light mow.