Yes, winter is approaching and your lawn is turning or has turned brown. You may feel there isn’t anything to do now, that lawn care is a summer activity. But, from here on out, it’s not just about raking leaves. Read this post to learn how to prepare your lawn for winter so it is in peak health next year.
Skip Raking
If you hate raking, you’re in luck. It’s more beneficial to use a leaf mulcher or a lawn mower to mulch those leaves into your lawn to insulate it and provide nutrients.
Pick Up Sticks
Remove whole leaves, sticks, pinecones, and other debris from your lawn. If they sit, they will block the light. All these items will still be there in the spring with mold and dead grass under them.
Use a Pre-emergent
Pre-emergents are normally used in the spring, but some weeds spread in the fall. If you have already seeded your lawn and it’s healthy, you can apply a pre-emergent now to tackle these particular weeds.
Aerate
If water collects on the surface of the soil in the winter, it can kill the lawn as it is sitting at the crown of the plant where the root meets the stem. This is a common problem called “winter kill,” and it can be prevented by aerating your lawn so the soil is less compacted.
Keep Watering
Your lawn needs water all year long. It can get this water from snow when it melts. If your grass is not covered by snow, keep up with whether it is getting a half inch of water every other week from rain. If it isn’t, supplement with watering.
Keep Mowing
Mow your grass as long as it continues to grow. This will encourage it to grow wider rather than taller, which will help it grow thick and harder for weeds to grow in.
Test Your Soil
Now that you don’t need to fertilize your lawn, you have an ideal opportunity to test the soil for nutrients. Once it has been at least 60 days since your last fertilization treatment, you can test.
Maintain Your Equipment
Because you’ll need to spend less time maintaining the lawn, you can use some of that time to get your lawn equipment in great shape for next year.
Does Snow Hurt Your Lawn?
No, it doesn’t. Because snow is porous, it allows oxygen to get in so the plant can continue to “breathe.” Ice is another matter. It will harm your grass. When snow and ice melt, it hydrates the grass, but only then.
Get Your Lawn Winter Ready With Mobile Mower Techs
We come to you to repair lawnmowers and provide routine maintenance, making caring for your lawn equipment effortless. If you want to schedule your maintenance or repair during the lawn care downtime, we’ll be happy to help. Contact us to schedule your appointment.