Your lawn can make a big impression on potential tenants and visitors, which is why you must take care of it. But what about in the winter when ice or snow has covered the grass and it’s too cold for the plants to grow? Even then, lawn maintenance is crucial to keep your grass healthy throughout the freezing season. Omitting this care is likely to damage or even kill your lawn come spring. Learn what kind of winter lawncare services you can use to prepare your grass for the winter and ensure it not only survives but thrives.
Keep Your Lawn Clean
Clearing off your lawn is a simple yet crucial part of winter lawn maintenance. You need to keep everything from sticks, furniture, and even your feet off your lawn during the cold seasons because they will compact the soil beneath them. This makes your lawn more prone to waterlogging which can lead to snow mold. Instead of greeting a bright green lawn after winter, you will see scattered dead spots that ruin the look of your grass. Objects resting on your lawn in the winter can also stop the grass from getting air and light, so even if you don’t get snow mold you risk harming your grass another way.
Despite their light weight, leaves can be just as dangerous to your lawn in the winter. If they pile up, they can damage the grass and soil beneath them. Luckily, leaves can also be used for lawn maintenance. Use a leaf mulcher or mower to turn the leaves into natural fertilizer. Place your new mulch along your lawn’s borders and around plants to ensure maximum health.
Aerate Your Lawn
In order to prevent severe compaction, you need to start your lawn maintenance before winter sets in. During warmer months your lawn is more likely to deal with heavy foot traffic and become compacted. To prevent waterlogging from winter ice or snow you must aerate your lawn starting in the fall. You can do this with either an electrical aerator or a regular garden rake. Get rid of any debris covering your lawn and punch or rake holes into the ground several times a day to ensure oxygen and other nutrients can reach the soil. This keeps your grass healthy throughout winter freezes.
Overseed the Grass
Aerating your soil doesn’t just air out your lawn, it also promotes better seeding. Before winter hits, spread cool-season grass seed across your lawn and then water and fertilize it to encourage growth. This lawn maintenance results in thicker, healthier grass that is better equipped to handle cold temperatures and the stress of winter. Along with other lawncare services, this promotes lawn growth even during the coldest time of the year, ensuring your grass will bounce back once spring arrives.
Continue Fertilizing
Just because your grass might look dead in the winter, that doesn’t mean that it is or that you should stop feeding it. Using fertilizer year-round is essential to keep your grass healthy. First, you’ll want to apply nitrogen-heavy fertilizer in the fall to prepare your grass for winter. In the colder months your grass won’t have as much access to its needed nutrients. Applying fertilizer before winter freezes your lawn allows the grass to store its nutrients and survive the cold.
Don’t Stop Mowing
Mowing is a common and important part of lawn maintenance and shouldn’t stop once it starts getting cold outside. Shorter days reduce the amount of sunlight reaching your lawn, slowing down its growth. You may not need to mow as much as in warmer months but continuing to do so until the winter will help keep your lawn healthy. Mowing once a week should be enough in the fall before it freezes.
Lower your mower deck by one notch each time you mow to achieve the optimal height of two and a half inches by the time winter is in full swing. This shorter height reduces the potential for snow mold which can greatly harm your lawn in the spring. Taller grass also requires more nutrients and can smother itself when conditions are less favorable, increasing the risk of disease. Carefully manage the height of your lawn in the late season to properly minimize these risks while promoting a healthier lawn come spring.
Upgrade Your Winter Lawn Maintenance with Swyft!
Winter landscaping and maintenance plays a significant role in caring for the overall health of your property’s lawn. Lawn maintenance in the colder months should not be overlooked as it helps prevent common problems like snow mold, nutrient deficiencies, pest infestations, and compacted grass. Proper care through these challenging months can be rigorous but it is vital to ensure your lawn is ready to thrive when spring arrives.
At Swyft, we understand the demands that come with lawn maintenance, especially in the winter. Our team offers expert lawncare services designed to protect your grass during the winter and beyond. Call us for an estimate today and learn how Swyft can take the burden of lawn care off your shoulders and keep your property looking its best year-round!
