Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

By Jodi Nations

A vibrate lawn demonstrates the pride you take in your home and household. It provides the first impressions and sets the conversation for the neighborhood. Of course part of that involves regular maintenance of watering, mowing, weeding, and the like. However, there are a few items that need to be done in the Spring and Fall to ensure the health of your lawn. If you do it right, you will have a healthy and happy spring carpet. That is why you need to winterize your lawn properly.

Throughout the colder regions of the country a strong lawn winterizing program will bring drastic benefits come spring time. During the winter, the lawn hibernates and needs to have a solid storage of nutrients to weather the storms with health. Come spring, a well winterized lawn will pop up early, beautiful, and even cut back on the weeds!

Timing is an important factor when winterizing. Winterizing too early can rob the lawn of vital nutrients necessary to nourish it through the coming month. Allow the grass to absorb as much of the remaining sunlight and soil before true winter arrives.

If possible before the first frost, rake debris and leaves from the lawn to allow sunlight and the earth's nutrients into the soil during the winter. Keeping the lawn free of dead or dying organic matter will prevent disease and mold from setting in. The act of raking also aerates the soil, allowing a deeper penetration of sun and moisture. Even better than raking alone is a good deep plug aeration.

Make sure you remove as many weeds as possible. Weeds don't hibernate like grass does and allowing them free reign during the winter will make them harder to abate in the springs. Use a weed killer and remove visible growth.

A good winterizing process should include a winterizing fertilizer. A neighbor of mine had never used one before until last year. His lawn was the first to come in and was so rich and green while everyone's lawn was just starting to emerge from the harsh winter of Colorado. It makes a huge difference.

If you do the steps listed above (or have someone do them for you), your lawn in the spring will be the talk of the neighborhood. - 30228

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