PREP LAWN FOR WINTER – WINTER LAWN CARE TIPS 2022

Winter lawn preparation

When you notice any frigid winds or the appearance of cool temperatures and light rainfalls, there are signals of the end of summer’s heat and the incoming autumn. These same signals also notify you that the winter is coming to your yard soon, as well. No matter how hard you have been working over the spring and summer for lawn care, this time always becomes the season in which your plant trees will be worn out because of the lack of nutrients and oxygen without lawn care.

You’ll not want your beautiful lawn to be destroyed over the harsh conditions of autumn and winter. Early autumn will be the best time to prepare your lawn for the winter season ahead. Prep winter lawn project includes removing brown or dead spots, aerating the turf, improving the fertilizer process for your lawn yard. Take these few tips to perform your yard and garden care tasks and make it lusher and healthier over time.

Or contact Green Arbor Landscaping for best performance at the beginning.

I. DO TEST FOR WINTER LAWN PREPARATION

Clear fallen leaves

Before getting ready for physical work, clear all fallen leaves off your lawn, which have been left from the early autumn. Although fallen leaves in fall might provide some nutrients for your plant trees, a yard filled with too many dead leaves can block them from getting sunlight and the composting process will become harder if they aren’t removed. And then have your lawn soil tested to know thoroughly the type, verify pH levels, and which work needs landscaping for your yard.

II. MOW LOW YOUR LAWN

The mowing process should be kept going on throughout the lawn life cycle. Getting cold outside doesn’t mean you can be lazy about mowing the lawn. You can use a mulching mower to cut the grass low at least one to one-and-a-half inches. This process plays an essential part to prepare your lawn for winter.

Fall mowing

If the grass is higher than 3 inches in tall, keep the mower blades higher than ⅔ compared with the height of the grass in each mowing. This will not only avoid stressing your plants and root health but also make the later raking and aeration process easier. Keep doing the mowing work for a few months throughout autumn or until the grass stops growing.

You can also rake the leaves off your yard and compost them to use later as mulching or fertilizer in the spring. Remember that if fallen leaves aren’t removed as soon as possible, they will cause a lumbering mess that hides insects and disease under the soil, as well as suffocates grass and plants.

Rake leaves off lawn yard

III. AERATE THE TURF BEFORE THE WINTER COMES

While the aeration process has been finished in the spring, this should also be done in fall to help nutrients reach into the roots and increase drainage ability for your lawn as some rainfalls would come in the autumn and winter. Use a manual aerator or rent a power one to get ready for the aeration. The rental fee of an aerator is relatively inexpensive and helpful for winter lawn preparation.

No matter which weather there is, it’s always time to clean up your yard when you notice any harmful signs for your lawn. Don’t wait till the harsh weather conditions destroy your grass lawn and you’ll cry for it! Take the lawn care as soon as you can to protect your beautiful garden.

Or hire a professional team for your prep lawn for winter.

Aerate the lawn

Some days before you aerate, water the lawn to keep the soil moist, but not soggy. Remember to irrigate the soil carefully because the aerator hollow tine will not penetrate the dry ground in each hole. After aerating the lawn, you can reseed or use the compost to rejuvenate the lawn yard and fill in the holes left.

Water the lawn

IV. DEAL WITH WEEDS

Try to control weeds in your lawn with specific tools or broadleaf herbicides. This is the time you will be careful to notice perennial weeds such as dandelion or ground ivy, etc. Removing lawn weeds to decrease the competition of unwanted grass for nutrients, water and sunlight.

Remove dandelion

Find more ways to control weeds here!

V. OVERSEED THE LAWN

Bare spots in lawn

You might have some bare spots on your lawn because of the removal of weeds, summer weather, or mowing, and aerate activities. Now is the time to reseed those spots. Loosen the soil and sprinkle the grass seed into the lawn where the grass is sparse. Spread the seeds with about a half-inch compost layer and cover them with straw mulch to prevent other attacks. Finally, well water the seed areas until the grass has grown up.

Overseed the bare spots

VI. FERTILIZER

Early fall is the best time to fertilize the lawn, especially in cold-climate regions. Take the pH level which you have verified at the beginning to apply the right amount of fertilizer nutrients onto the soil. You should know: too much and too little nutrients will both cause problems for your lawn health.

Lawn food – fertilizer with a high-phosphorus level will strengthen the root growth, improve the resistance ability over the winter, and promote the lush lawn, as well as kill moss. After mowing and seeding, use a wheeled or rotary spreader to distribute the fertilizer equally over the lawn. To get the best results of winter lawn preparation, water right a day after applying fertilizer to best use nutrients.

Distribute the fertilizer over the lawn

VII. ADD MULCH AND KEEP PESTS AWAY

You’ll need to notice the signs of pests and insects and keep them off the area where new grass has grown. If there are already pets on the lawn ground, use organic compost to fertilize your garden and prevent pests.

Organic compost on soil

Add mulch to protect plants against the attack of animals and the cold-and-harsh weather before the winter is coming. The mulch keeps the warm temperatures in the soil and keeps it moist enough for preparation. Add mulch around 1 – 2 inches away from woody stems, don’t pile around the trunk because it will make the stems and bark rot.

Mulch lawn

VIII. WELL WATER

Actually, you don’t need to water too much in this weather. It is the time when there will be some rainfalls coming to your lawn. However, if you are facing a dry fall, you might need to carefully water them, even when they have come to their dormant period. Remember to water once a day and between 15 and 30 minutes each time.

Well water the lawn

Remember to keep mowing the lawn again and again during the autumn and winter when the grass reaches above 3 inches.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

To contact us, here is some information:

• Phone call: (206) 265-2940
• Email: info@greenarborlandscaping.com
• Website: https://greenarborlandscaping.com/