Winter is on its way. No matter how much you may have taken care of your lawn throughout summer, the coming of autumn sees it starting to look pale and worn. This is because your lawn has used up all the nutrients in the soil.
Winter is on its way. No matter how much you may have taken care of your lawn throughout summer, the coming of autumn sees it starting to look pale and worn. This is because your lawn has used up all the nutrients in the soil.
So, before the cold hits your lawn hard, lay the groundwork so that it gets a head-start on the next growing season.
Read this post to learn how to prepare your lawn for winter and when to shut off the water in winter.
How to Prepare Your Lawn for Winter
Pre-winter lawn care is very important to laying the groundwork for next year’s lush lawn. Learn how to do that in the following.
Clean Up Weeds and Debris
To prepare your lawn for winter, you first need to remove all fallen leaves, debris, moss, and weeds. Otherwise, they can pile up and smother your lawn, resulting in dead patches. Instead, add it all to your compost bin.
Mow Low
Once you are done with the cleaning, mow the grass to a height of 1 to 1½ inches. This makes it easier to aerate, and will also help you understand how much compost you need to add to the lawn.
If the grass is more than three inches long, you can complete the mowing over a few sessions to complete the task. Ideally, you should cut a maximum of one-third from the tip of the grass blade to avoid stressing the grass.
If your lawn has any dry patches, now is the ideal time to treat them with the right combination of compost, seed, and fertilizer. For help, contact lawn experts.
Aerate
Aerating is an essential step in pre-winter care as it allows vital nutrients, water, sunlight, and oxygen to sink in and reach the lawn’s root system.
Use a garden fork or aerating tool to increase drainage and get some air to the lawn’s roots. Before you aerate, check your lawn. If the ground is too dry, it will be difficult to penetrate with the tool. So, it is advisable to irrigate your lawn a couple of days before you plan to aerate it.
Feed the Lawn
Now it is time to feed your lawn for the coming winter. You can do a soil test to understand the condition of the soil. This will help you comprehend which nutrients your lawn requires the most.
Then you can apply appropriate lawn treatments, including grub killers, pre-emergent weed killers, and fertilizer. Lawn experts can advise you on what is appropriate for your property.
You can also use the compost pile that you made earlier to protect your lawn and keep it rich with nutrients during the cold winter months.
Use a rotary spreader to efficiently spread the fertilizer, nutrients, or herbicides.
Overseed
Once you are done feeding the lawn and it is prepared, it’s time to spread the seeds. Overseed your lawn 6–8 weeks before the first hard freeze. This will boost the lawn in the spring by limiting excessive winter grass loss. You can use the rotary spreader to distribute the seed over the compost.
Then start watering lightly. Start with five minutes at a time, two to three times a day, until the seeds sprout. Then water for 15 to 30 minutes once a day. When the new grass reaches three inches, mow the lawn and bag the clippings. After the leaves have fallen, cut the grass to 1½ inches so it can take a long winter nap.
Follow this routine to prepare your lawn for winter. Since the moisture level is usually higher during the winter, you don’t need to water it. If you want further information regarding lawn winterization, contact a lawn sprinkler service near you.
Originally published at https://bloggerguestpost.com on November 16, 2022.