How To Prepare Your Lawn For The Winter
Winter is just around the corner, and there’s work to be done before the snowfalls. While many homeowners think that their lawn requires less attention in the fall because the grass doesn’t grow as rapidly, this is a misconception. Preparing your lawn before a rough Pittsburgh winter is essential if you want it to be healthy and thrive come spring.
Check out our tips to prepare your yard for winter:
- Continue To Mow Your Lawn
- Rake Your Leaves
- Aerate Your Lawn
- Fertilize Your Lawn
- Take Care Of Your Trees and Shrubs
- Apply Herbicide For Weeds Growing
- Fill in Bald Spots
- Turn Off and Drain Sprinklers
- Get Professional Help
Tips For Preparing Your Lawn For Winter
If you care for your lawn in the fall, the rewards will be evident in the spring, because you’ll be providing your lawn with the vital nutrients, moisture, and energy it needs to safely survive our harsh winters. Here are some tips we recommend to do during the fall to prepare your lawn for the winter.
Continue To Mow Your Lawn
As fall comes to a close, drop the blade to a slightly lower setting for the last two cuts. This allows more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass, where the blade of grass comes out of the ground. This will encourage new growth in the spring.
Rake Your Leaves
It is no surprise that when leaves fall, they cover your entire yard. Leaves left on your lawn over winter will smother your grass, turning your lawn into a brown patch. It is important to rake your leaves when they fall off the trees to ensure there is no damage to your lawn.
Aerate Your Lawn
Aerating your lawn helps ensure you will have a green, healthy lawn come springtime. Aerate your lawn in the winter so the roots can have access to vital water, oxygen, and fertilizer.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Fertilizing your lawn in the late fall is very important. This is the best time of year to fertilize because your lawn is hungry. Fertilizer helps grass survive hibernation, and encourages it to wake up early in the spring to start growing again. Even though your grass slows growth in the fall, the roots grow at the same rate, and you want your roots to be deep in the soil come spring.
Take Care Of Your Trees and Shrubs
Be sure to mulch around trees and shrubs after the first hard freeze. Mulch helps protect plants from cold weather. Trim trees and bushes where you find dead or dying branches. This will keep your plant life healthy as well.
Apply Herbicide For Weeds Growing
Weeds, like grass, are absorbing everything they can in the fall so they have energy through the winter, and this makes them an easy victim to your weed control products. Applying weed control in the fall will help them not return in the spring.
Fill in Bald Spots
Remove the dead grass by its roots, then rake the soil, lay down a thick layer of seed, and water it every morning and evening until it begins to grow. This will lead to a luscious lawn come springtime.
Turn Off and Drain Sprinklers
Sprinklers should be turned off and drained. Since sprinklers are not used in the winter, any water still in your pipes once they freeze will make them burst.
Get Professional Help
Here at Custom Turf, we know how laborious and time-consuming yard work can be. When you want to spend time with friends or family, taking care of your lawn is the last thing you want to do. If you need some advice or want some help, give us a call at 412-384-4111. Be sure to protect your lawn from the harsh winter that’s coming, and stay warm!