Not many homeowners put much time or effort into their winter lawn care. The best way to have excellent spring and summer foliage is by being proactive and taking care of your lawn through dormant seasons. To have an amazing looking lawn year round, follow these seven winter lawn care tips
Winter Lawn Care Tips
To have your lawn looking excellent year round, it isn’t just about the maintenance during the spring and summer time. Winter is the time when the roots start to store energy to make it through the cold and freezing months. If winter lawn care is done successfully, you can create an amazing spring time boom.
Aerate
Winter lawn care involves making sure to aerate the lawn. By aerating the soil using small holes, you allow nutrients and water to penetrate the roots more effectively. The reason it is critical is that the roots need additional nutrients to make it through the winter months.
Seed
Dormant seeding is the best way to have consistent grass growth in the spring and summer time. Spreading seed when the grass is not active is a great way to cover patchy or bare areas before the cold winter months arrive. Winter lawn care that includes seeding will ensure that the seeds have the ability to anchor so that germinating in the spring will be a cinch.
Fertilize
It is important for winter lawn care that you fertilize your lawn with something called “winterizer”. It is a specific type of winter fertilizer that is high in potassium. It enhances the grass for a hardier root system. Winterizing fertilizer will not only allow the roots to store the necessary nutrients for in climate weather; it will also help for faster growth during the spring months.
Mulch
Mulch provides a great barrier for your grass when performing your winter lawn care. Mulch doesn’t have to be expensive to work efficiently. In fact, instead of investing in mulch, use your mower to make mulch from shredded leaves. Not only will it protect your grass during the cold weather months, but it will also give the roots, the nutrients necessary for excellent spring action.
Mow
When performing your winter lawn care, it is important to take it easy on your lawn. Try to keep your grass at the recommended height throughout the winter. If you do so, the weeds will probably not make it through the frost periods. But, it is important to stay off of frozen grass. That is when it is most fragile. Once the first frost has happened, you don’t need to worry about mowing until the spring thaw.
Keep It Clean
Sometimes the cold weather can sneak up on you, and you don’t get a chance to do the full winter lawn care you hoped for. It is important that you remove any toys, wood logs, or lawn furniture before the ground freezes or snow begins to fall. It is best for winter lawn care to occasionally do a sweep around the yard to keep everything clean for spring. If you leave objects lying around, it can wreak havoc on your lawn and create thinning or even patches when the grass begins to grow in the springtime.
Avoid Excessive Traffic
When the freezing winter sets in, the best thing you can do for winter lawn care, is to avoid any excessive traffic. Making sure not to walk on predictable paths will ensure that you don’t damage the grass roots. The grass is very resilient to cold weather, but the less wear and tear you cause, the better your lawn will look in the spring and summer.
It is easy to run out of time for winter lawn care, but it is a very important step to have the beautiful green foliage you desire in the springtime. A little prevention through winter lawn care goes a long way for a wonderful, lush, and beautiful lawn year round.