Keep off the grass, unless it's really wet

Even the best-kept lawns need a rest after months of wear and tear, and keeping off the grass when it’s frozen is one way of ensuring no further damage is caused.

Because when frost coats the leaves of grass you can be sure that the stems are literally frozen through, even if the soil isn’t quite that cold. This means that the lawn is vulnerable to physical damage if you walk over the area – so keep off.

Unfortunately, walking or running over the grass will crush the leaves and they will turn brown when they warm up, so you could have brown footprints marking the lawn for weeks.

But if the weather remains really wet and puddles are forming on the grass, you should go for a walk on the lawn – and take a garden fork with you so that you can spike the wet areas down to a depth of at least 15cm (6ins). The holes created will improve drainage slightly and should help the sitting water to drain away.

Lawns don’t usually fair badly in wet weather, although they do need extra nutrients throughout the year if they are to look a rich green.