9 Steps to Winterize Your Lawn

The air is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to fall. This is the perfect time to rehab a tired yard or plant a new one. As the summer months take a heavy toll on your yard, it’s important to repair any damage and prepare for a beautiful yard for the coming spring. Follow these steps to help make your winterizing quick and easy.

1. Remove Weeds. Weeds have a nasty reputation for dropping seeds in the fall that lead to a lot of work in the spring. Fall is the best time to eliminate nasty weeds, such as field bindweed (aka morning glory).  Spray weeds with herbicides after a killing frost.  As the plant prepares for winter, it will take the product down into its root system better than in other seasons.
2. Rake leaves. While raking leaves is certainly not a fun aspect of winterizing your yard, it is very important. Raking will help remove dead leaves and grass on the top of the lawn and help ensure your grass gets water and nutrients to its roots.
3. Fertilize your lawn. Your lawn will benefit from a good dose of winter fertilizer. This is especially important for cool-season grasses such as fescue, bluegrass and perennial rye grass. This winter treatment will help keep your lawn strong under the stress of winter temperatures.
4. Spread grass seed. Prepare your grass for new growth by spreading grass seed on spots that are patchy or bare. It is best to seed when the temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees. New grass in the spring will help to eliminate weed seeds from taking over your lawn.
5. Plant trees, shrubs and perennials. Fall is the perfect time to plant new trees, shrubs and perennials as the warm soil and cool days allows for great root establishment. Another benefit is that they are often on sale this time of year.
6. Avoid pruning. Take care to not prune your plants in the fall. Pruning stimulates new growth that can become damaged by the harsh winter weather.
7. Mow your lawn shorter. Your lawn should be mowed up until the first hard frost of the season. At your last mowing of the year, lawns should be cut shorter than usual at about 2”-2 ½” high.
8. Aerate your lawn. To establish an even better route for nutrients and water to get to the roots of your grass in the winter, aerate your lawn. This will help prevent your soil from compacting and prevent thatch buildup.
9. Drain your irrigation pipes. To prevent your sprinkler system from being damaged in the harsh, freezing winter temperatures, shut off your sprinkler water supply and drain the pipes. There are several ways to drain your pipes: a manual drain valve, an automatic drain valve or the compressed air blow-out method.