Tips For Winterizing Your Lawn
There's nothing like having a lush, green lawn in the spring of the year and watching your neighbors struggle with theirs. What they don't know is you started your lawn well before spring by winterizing your lawn.
Taking the time to properly prepare your lawn for winter is the key to having a great lawn in the spring and through the summer season.
The grass in your lawn stops growing in winter. It goes dormant and ensuring you have a healthy lawn in the spring means taking the time in the autumn season to prepare it for winter.
To winterize your lawn, take the following steps:
1. Use a proper winter fertilizer. A winter lawn fertilizer will typically have a high potassium ratio. This will allow the grass to build its root system and help stimulate rhizome growth. Depending on where you live, winter fertiization should occur in either September or October when the growing season has stopped. Using an incorrect winter fertilizer or fertilizing it too late in the growing season could cause your lawn to grow over the winter months and result in frost damage.
2. Repair your lawn by overseeding and topdressing. Once early fall comes, start winterizing your lawn by overseeding in places that may be damaged. Warm weather weeds will be dying off at this time and will start opening space for new grass to grow. The new seeds will not have to compete for nutrients or space with the weeds. Once the new seeds gain hold in the soil in the fall, they will quickly grow in the spring and help displace any weeds. You can help the new seeds grow by topdressing with sand or compost materials, as well as aerating.
3. Aerate your lawn. Throughout the summer season soil tends to become compacted, preventing oxygen from reaching the roots of the grass. Without oxygen, the metabolic process of the grass leaves is disrupted and the grass itself will start dying. Aerating your lawn in the fall opens space that can be reseeded, topdressed and filled with new lawn seeds towards the end of the growing season. It will also ensure existing grass has enough oxygen and will survive the cold winter season.
4. De-thatch to minimize disease. A thin layer of thatch in your lawn is acceptable and beneficial. Allowing this to accumulate too thick will promote disease and prevent oxygen from reaching the roots. Aerating is perhaps the best way to control thatch and ensure your lawn is well-prepared for the winter months.
As with any gardening activity, taking the time to correctly winterize your lawn will help it return healthy in the spring, allowing you and your family an opportunity to enjoy it through all your summer activities.
Taking the time to properly prepare your lawn for winter is the key to having a great lawn in the spring and through the summer season.
The grass in your lawn stops growing in winter. It goes dormant and ensuring you have a healthy lawn in the spring means taking the time in the autumn season to prepare it for winter.
To winterize your lawn, take the following steps:
1. Use a proper winter fertilizer. A winter lawn fertilizer will typically have a high potassium ratio. This will allow the grass to build its root system and help stimulate rhizome growth. Depending on where you live, winter fertiization should occur in either September or October when the growing season has stopped. Using an incorrect winter fertilizer or fertilizing it too late in the growing season could cause your lawn to grow over the winter months and result in frost damage.
2. Repair your lawn by overseeding and topdressing. Once early fall comes, start winterizing your lawn by overseeding in places that may be damaged. Warm weather weeds will be dying off at this time and will start opening space for new grass to grow. The new seeds will not have to compete for nutrients or space with the weeds. Once the new seeds gain hold in the soil in the fall, they will quickly grow in the spring and help displace any weeds. You can help the new seeds grow by topdressing with sand or compost materials, as well as aerating.
3. Aerate your lawn. Throughout the summer season soil tends to become compacted, preventing oxygen from reaching the roots of the grass. Without oxygen, the metabolic process of the grass leaves is disrupted and the grass itself will start dying. Aerating your lawn in the fall opens space that can be reseeded, topdressed and filled with new lawn seeds towards the end of the growing season. It will also ensure existing grass has enough oxygen and will survive the cold winter season.
4. De-thatch to minimize disease. A thin layer of thatch in your lawn is acceptable and beneficial. Allowing this to accumulate too thick will promote disease and prevent oxygen from reaching the roots. Aerating is perhaps the best way to control thatch and ensure your lawn is well-prepared for the winter months.
As with any gardening activity, taking the time to correctly winterize your lawn will help it return healthy in the spring, allowing you and your family an opportunity to enjoy it through all your summer activities.
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