As old man winter makes his approach, it’s important to prepare your lawn for winter to ensure a healthy yard in the spring. It’s also the perfect time to get your snow blower ready for those winter flurries and furious storms. Check out these fall lawn care tips for winter lawn fertilizer, mowing and proper management of your machines.
Tips for fall lawn care
Say goodbye to fall as you prepare your lawn for winter with these tips to improve the health and appearance of your yard.
- Lawn watering tip: Up until the first freeze, keep the lawn moist. It should not be overly saturated, but it’s important to continue watering the lawn throughout the fall to keep cold winds and fall sun from drying it out. Water new trees heavily as well. At the end of the season, turn off any sprinklers and drain the sprinkler lines to avoid pipes bursting. You should also turn off the water to your hose and disconnect, empty and store the hose for winter.
- Tips for winter lawn fertilizer: Fall is the perfect time to repair summer damage to your lawn from the sun. Test your soil to determine which nutrients are needed to heal damage and promote spring growth. Most winter lawn fertilizer will have more phosphorus and potassium, but a slow-releasing nitrogen fertilizer is also a good addition. That’s why it’s a good idea to fertilize soil with leaf and grass clippings as the decomposition will release it in the right amounts. Now is also a good time to reseed any dead areas of your lawn.
- Fall leaf removal tips: Allowing leaves to pile up on your lawn can cause grass to suffocate or grow mold. To avoid this, use a leaf blower or rake to clear leaves into piles and mix them in with compost. You can also use a mulch kit on your riding mower to cut leaves into smaller particles perfect for winter lawn fertilizer.
- Fall flower bed care: Edge flower beds with the edging attachment on your garden tiller to keep grass and lawn weeds from creeping over and taking root. This will reduce spring weeding. Spread a thin layer of compost over flower beds to keep plants warm and release nutrients throughout the winter. Or, plant a ground cover like clover you can turn over in the spring. Now is also the time to plant any bulbs for spring. Finally, place shields around your young trees and shrubs to protect your plants from deer and rabbits during the winter.
- Lawn mowing tips: For optimal fall lawn care, continue to cut your lawn until there has been no visible growth for about two weeks. Longer grass can be matted down by snow and develop diseases like mold. However, avoid cutting grass lower than two inches as you would leave it more open to damage from winter winds and the sun. When you?re done mowing for the year, drain the gasoline (or let it run out the last time you mow), wipe down the mower, and change the oil.
Tips for snow blower preparation
Before winter snows fall, take the time to examine your snow blower, change the oil and order any snow blower parts you need like air filters, oil filters or spark plugs. It may also be a good idea to keep a few spare parts on hand to be prepared for cold weather maintenance, even if you don?t need them now.
Remember to note where your plants are along the driveway so you can avoid damaging them when you throw snow, and consider setting up reflectors at the end of your driveway for a clear marker despite snow drifts. Now’s also a great time to order snow blower accessories like snow cabs to keep you warm, drift cutter kits for heavy snows, tire chains for traction, and snow blower covers and mats to keep your garage clean and dry after each use. If you prepare your lawn and driveway for winter with these fall lawn care tips you?ll have an easier time clearing winter snows and your lawn with be healthy and green in the spring.
