While there are many gardening tasks that you can take a break from during the colder autumn and winter months, there is one that becomes even more important during this time.

As the leaves fall from the trees, and with the potential appearance of snow, it's extremely important to regularly clear your lawn during this time of year.

Speaking to the Express, lawn care specialist Chrissie Handley at onlineturf.co.uk said: "You should regularly clear your lawn of debris by raking any snow, leaves etc that may have fallen onto the grass.

"You should regularly check for any signs of damage on your lawn like brown/bare patches or areas of cotton wool/spider web mould, which is a telltale sign of snow mould."

Chrissie highlighted snow mould (fusarium patch) as a potential problem, explaining that this is a fungal lawn disease that develops "when there are layers of snow on top of your lawn, creating a cold, damp climate for the fungus to thrive in."  

Chrissie notes that fusarium patch can be rather difficult to spot until the snow melts when you'll start to see areas of browning where the grass has been smothered and died.

"The grass in the affected areas will likely not recover & the fungi will continue to thrive whilst weather conditions are still cold & wet," she explained.

"If you clear your lawn regularly in winter, you will encourage airflow and minimise the chance of snow mould occurring. 

"It is very difficult to tackle an outbreak of fungi when it has already progressed, so your best method for avoiding lawn fungus is to keep on top of your grass maintenance and provide an inhospitable habitat for fungi to thrive in."

"If you reach spring and find that your lawn has been affected, you can try and remedy the surrounding areas of the disease by purchasing a fungicide treatment product which are available in local garden centres & homeware stores.

"You can also look to re-seed the damaged areas to inspire re-growth once the disease has been treated."

Chrissie Handley is a lawn care specialist working for Online Turf. With extensive expertise in turf-laying, grass maintenance & seasonal gardening advice, she is dedicated to helping gardening enthusiasts achieve lush, healthy lawns year-round.