How to Prepare Your Lawn for The Winter

​Winter is a beautiful season, but it may not be so beautiful for your lawn. In the winter, if it is too cold it is easy for your landscape to become damaged. Because of that it makes fall an important time to prepare your yard for the upcoming season. 

Prepping Your Lawn for Winter

​When cutting your lawn to prepare for the winter season cut it to about 1 to 1 1/2 inches in height.  If your grass is 3 inches or taller then you should cut it down slowly over time. If you cut too much at once then it could stress the grass blades.

Aeration is another thing you can do to help your lawn. You can do this by using a core aerator, manual aerator, and you can even use an aerator attachment for a lawnmower. You should aerate at least four weeks before winter. Also a wonderful time to fertilize your landscape is right after you aerate.

Fertilizing is also important when prepping for the colder months. Keep in mind that the best time to do this is before the grass starts to change color. Fertilizer gives the grass more sustenance which makes it easier for it to survive in the winter, and bounce back in the spring.

Fall is also a good time to overseed your lawn. You should overseed your lawn several weeks ahead of the winter. It will make your lawn more full when spring comes back around. 
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Raking the leaves in your yard will help the grass stay healthy. When leaves pile up they put pressure on the grass below them. That pressure can damage grass blades. The grass also receives less sun when it is covered by leaves. Additionally, be careful of raking your landscape when it is wet. Raking the yard when it is wet will sometimes cause grass to be uprooted. 

Taking the time to prepare your lawn will help it survive the winter, return in the spring, and help it stay as healthy as possible.