Gardeners urged to do simple trick 'now' to make lawn 'survive the winter'

A gardening expert has urged UK gardeners to do one job "now" to help their gardens survive the winter months. Lawns might seem like one of the simplest things to keep healthy in your garden, but that actually isn't true. Many people learned this over the summer months when the UK experienced record temperatures during several heatwaves. Some gardeners struggled to stop their grass from going brown and crunchy.

As the UK gets gradually colder, with some parts of the country dipping as low as 0C, winter weather brings its own challenges when it comes to keeping lawns healthy. One TikTok user and gardening expert, Michael Griffiths, revealed the one job that UK gardeners should do right now to ensure that their lawns become lush and healthy again in Spring 2026. He said that people skip a vital step "so often," but he says it is essential to complete it in autumn.

Sharing his pro-tip for gardeners to "help your lawn survive winter", he says that skipping this step could mean your lawn looks "rubbish" when spring rolls around. He says that giving your lawn a specific autumn feed is a step you should not miss around this time of year.

"Grab your autumn feed," he instructed. "It's lower in nitrogen and higher in potassium, so you won't get loads of soft, top growth that'll just get battered by frost.

"Instead, it toughens up the roots, making your lawn resilient to the weather to come. You can apply with a spreader or by hand between September and November And in around 7 days your lawn will be greener but importantly it'll be ready for winter."

Bags of autumn feed for garden lawns are available in garden centres across the UK and on online retailers such as Amazon. The Royal Horticultural Society says lawns might need extra care after a particularly dry summer, like this year's.

"If your lawn is in need of a boost, you can apply an autumn lawn feed - just make sure it's specifically formulated for autumn application," the society advises. "Autumn lawn feed encourages root growth through winter, rather than leafy growth."

However, if you are trying to encourage wild growth, then there is no need to add autumn feed to your lawns.