Believe it or not, winter lawn care is not an oxymoron. Caring for your lawn all year will keep it at it’s best during the green season, saving you time and making you the envy of the block. Follow these season-ending steps to prep your lawn for dormancy and get ready for a better lawn each spring.
End of Season Grooming
Your lawn is a biome all to itself. The soil is filled with nutrients and moisture that root systems need. Ideally, this system should experience as little disruption as possible. You can’t control the climate but you can do things to make sure that your lawn is ready to handle the freeze and thaw.
Before the first freeze, make a routine of removing all items from, weeding and aerating your lawn. You may think it’s fine to leave toys or furniture, but you want your lawn and the soil to be equally exposed, and not likely to hold stagnant moisture. Pockets of moisture often develop mold or invite pests.
Aerating leaves room for your lawn to take in nutrients and absorb treatments (see next section) and room for new plant shoots to grow.
Treatments
Once your lawn is groomed and you’re waiting for that freeze, seed and fertilize. Look for winter-specific products. This is vital to a lush, green lawn come spring and is a great way to spot-treat areas where grass growing is delayed. If you have trees and plants on your property use nitrogen-rich feed around the base pre-freeze so that they get to the roots and aren’t hungry in the spring.
Monitor Water
Your lawn should stay moist throughout the year. If it’s mild and dry, an occasional spray is a winter lawn care practice that will help your lawn flourish when spring returns.
You’re Still on Dog Duty
Many people stop picking up after their dogs during the winter but is not something you want leaching into the ground for months. Frozen dog feces and urine soaking into the ground will set your lawn back pretty far.
Pay Attention when Shoveling
Avoid making huge piles of snow on your lawn. In addition to having certain spots snow-covered longer, you’ll also have areas where road salts have gotten into the soil making it harder for the grass to regrow.
If you have questions about or need help with winter lawn care, get in touch with Luna Landscaping! We’re happy to assist with all your lawn care and landscape needs.