Grass absorbs all the water, energy and nutrients it can during the fall and winter so it can grow tall and exceedingly green in spring. So, when the last leaf falls to the ground, will your lawn be prepared for winter?
Keep Mowing
Cut and water your lawn as usual throughout the fall. When winter temperatures arrive and the lawn begins to go dormant, take the next step in preparing your lawn for winter… Lower the blade on your mower. Use the last couple of mowings to cut the grass down to about 1½ inches tall. Try not to cut more than 1/3 of the grass blade off at a time for optimum health and minimum stress to the grass plants.
Benefits to mowing your lawn shorter heading into winter include:
- Limits opportunity for snow mold fungus and damage next spring. Longer blades of grass get matted down under snow and present ideal conditions for snow mold, especially along driveway edges and shade where snow sits longer.
- Lowers the risk of critters destroying your lawn. Field mice & voles use tall grasses for nesting in winter and can leave dead trails in your grass after the snow melts.
- Increases visibility of thin areas indicating where over seed may be desired next spring.
Aerate Your Lawn
The second way to prepare your lawn for winter involves getting water, oxygen, and nutrients to the roots of the grass. You’ll notice you mow less frequently in the fall but that doesn’t mean the lawn is done growing. The lawn’s root system grows more in the fall than any other time of year.
Getting your lawn aerated will loosen compacted soil and create channels for oxygen, water and fertilizers to reach the roots of the grass. Summer can be a brutal time for the lawn. Hot temperatures can cause drought stress and compact soil conditions leaving your lawn in need of some relief. Dry brown areas will be in a better position to benefit from fertilizer and grass seed after a lawn is aerated. Rainwater drainage and more effective results from turf damaging insect preventers are other benefits of aerating the lawn.
Lawn Aeration should be done around the end of September or October.
Fertilize
The last step in prepping your lawn for winter involves giving your grass what it needs to grow strong, thick and lush next spring. Applying a winterizer is the perfect set up for next season. As the roots stretch in the fall, the lawn is storing up nutrients to get through winter. Next spring it will pull from its reserves. Ever notice how some lawns green up a lot faster than others on your street? Many times, this is due to a lawn that received a winterizer months before. If you want your lawn to look its best early next spring, you’ll want to make sure it has resources to pull from.
Lawn fertilizers are best applied near the beginning of the growing season, and throughout the year to October. Getting on the right fertilizing schedule can help keep the weeds out of your yard while keeping your turf lush and green. At the same time, over-fertilizing your lawn can cause severe problems to your grass and the environment. Using a professional like Big League Lawns takes the guess work out of lawn fertilization.
Contact Big League Lawns for Help Getting Your Lawn Ready for the Winter
Every yard is unique; no two lawns are the same. The presence of sun, shade, lots of rain or none at all makes your lawn need different things or treatments. We can customize the treatment for your lawn’s specific needs. Call Big League Lawns at 801-773-9999 to obtain a FREE analysis of your lawn. We will determine your type of grass, soil, and needs to devise the best custom treatment for your lawn. Hit a home run with Big League Lawns!
