Winter is a trying time for many homeowners due to its negative impact on lawns. Lawn dry and die quicker during winter, reversing years of hard work and causing people a lot of money in costly repairs. If you are one of them and are looking for a way to minimize damage and therefore costs, we are here for you. The lawn care tips shared herein will help you to maintain a healthy lawn throughout winter.
Lawn Audit
To be able to plan better for lawn care, it is a good practice to do a lawn audit before winter hits. What species of plants do you have at home? What are their nutritional needs? Do you have a lawn care routine that you follow at home? Take a piece of paper and jot this down. They will aid in planning.
Lawn Traffic
While talking about lawn care, many people think about tools such as lawnmowers, garden hoses, and string trimmers. These are critical but not the only requirement for maintaining a lush lawn at home. To minimize damage, try to minimize lawn traffic during harsh winter months. At this time, lawns are at their weakest because of the cold and frost. Walking on them can cause breakages, accelerating damage. Use your paths instead whenever you are accessing your home.
Lawn Aeration
A thick coat of snow or ice can cut airflow to your lawn and either impede or stop growth. Therefore, before winter hits, it is a good practice to aerate your lawn to ensure healthy growth through winter. Aeration tools are diverse. The best garden shoes, for instance, pull plugs of grass and soil to increase airflow. Pitchforks with long handles and sturdy tines work great. Finally, garden weasels do a professional job but might require you to bend over for hours to deliver.
Here are some best practices for using garden weasels:
If you have a very large lawn, we recommend that you hire a gas-powered aerator. They are powerful and therefore can cover a larger area quicker. They are also easier to use. While your neighbors might not like the loud roaring sound they make, you will have a healthy lawn throughout winter.
Fertilize in Late Fall
Lawns require a nutrient boost once in a while to grow quicker, thicker, and healthier. However, the time of fertilization matters a lot if you want to preserve its health through winter. Do not fertilize your lawn after the first frost. You will be wasting fertilizer at this time as it will not seep into the root system when plants utilize it. For the best results, fertilize your lawn in the fall and use a garden hose to water it down. This gives its time to leech into the soil when plants can utilize it. Also, by fertilizing in the fall, you give your lawn time to grow and develop stronger roots in readiness for harsh winter months. Good planning is critical.
Lawn Care Routines
Winter can be intimidating due to ice/snow buildup et cetera. This should not scare you, though. Maintain your day-to-day lawn care routine, as usual, to help your lawn and plants to overcome harsh winter months. For instance, you should continue mowing your lawn as usual as the cold winter days and weeks roll in. Use a lawnmower or a string trimmer to get clean and consistent cuts. Grown will be slower during winter so you might have to mow less frequently. Stop when the snow has covered your lawn as it will be impossible to mow at this point. You can also sustain healthy growth by watering your lawn and plants grown in pots or garden trellis. Once the grass freeze, stop watering to stop damage.
As winter rolls in, do not let your lawn go to ruins. You can do many things today that can guarantee its health and safety once winter rolls in. Aerate and fertilize your lawn to strengthen your lawn and boost growth. Water your lawn and plants as usual before frost set in. Stop once the ground freezes to minimize damage. Finally, you should minimize traffic on your lawn during winter to lower the risk of damage. These tips are easy to implement irrespective of skill level.