Winter Lawn Preparation

Chances of your lawn completely dying over the winter and not coming back in the spring are very slim, but it's still a good idea to prepare your lawn for the cold months ahead. If you want to take precautions but don't want to spend a whole months worth of Saturdays working in your yard, here is a quick list of essential things that should be done before winter comes.

1. Rake. Lawn care begins with your rake. One of the best things you can do for your lawn is to rake up all the leaves and debris around your yard. This allows the sunlight to actually reach the grass, bringing much needed nutrients to your yard. Raking also aerates the lawn as well which will discourage mold growth. If your expecting snow make sure and rake before it comes, you don't want soggy leaves stuck under inches of snow.
2. Weed. Something you should do year-round is weeding your lawn. Weeds rob your lawn of nutrients, water, and light, slowly strangling it. Make sure when weeding that you pull out the whole root so they won't grow back. If feeling overwhelmed by all the weeds in your yard, use a chemical spray to help kill them, but be careful and make sure to read the instructions carefully when doing so. While grass goes dormant during the winter time, weeds continue to grow, so it's best to get a leg up on it so you don't have a lawn of weeds come springtime.
3. Fertilize. Like I said before, grass doesn't die in the winter, it just hibernates, and therefore it's still in need of some nutrients. A great idea is to fertilize your lawn, whether it be using compost, mulch, or just regular fertilizer. Doing this will help to keep your lawn well fed and will create a barrier to protect it against the harsh winter conditions.
4. Mow. As the fall months start to come to a close, each week lower the setting on your lawn mower, until it's at it's lowest on the last Saturday that you mow for the year. This will prevent grass buildup when springtime rolls around.
5. Drain Sprinkler Pipes. This is especially important if you live in freezing climates. If your water pipes freeze and burst, that could be disastrous for your lawn.

Following these lawn tips now will not only help to turn your lawn green in the springtime, but your neighbors too—green with envy.