If you think winter is an excuse to get lazy and do nothing about your lawn, think again. The winter season is the perfect time to show your lawn some tender loving care, and to prepare for a beautiful, lush spring. It doesn’t matter if you’ve already covered and stored your lawn mower, and put your overpriced garden gloves away for the winter. Here are some winter season tips to ensure that your yard looks like a million dollars in the springtime.
Use the Colder Months for Fertilizing
The most popular lawn grasses are cool season varieties like Bermuda and Bluegrass, and the best time to fertilize these is early winter. After the harsh winds have set in, but before the first freeze takes hold, fertilize your lawn vigorously. Your soil is depleted and dry following the hot summer months, so don’t let it languish in the winter winds. The nutrients you replace in the soil early in the winter will feed your lawn’s roots, even under snow and ice. Come spring, your healthy green lawn will be the envy of your neighbors. You can tell them your secret is keeping a green thumb under your winter mitts.
Keep Your Lawn Cropped, Clean and Clear for the Winter
You must avoid the temptation to stop manicuring your lawn as winter approaches, because overgrown and unkempt grass is a sure invitation to field mice and other rodents. Mice build nests all over your yard, and they uproot your lawn to do it. Mow your lawn as short as possible just before Old Man Winter arrives, and lawn care in the spring will be a breeze.
Likewise, get all objects off your lawn before you start your hibernation, including toys, lawn furniture and sporting equipment. Make it a point to conduct weekly checks in the dead of winter, because any items left on your grass can create large bald spots. Even a light object sitting on the lawn will discolor your grass, at the least.
Follow these tips and tricks for seasonal lawn care, and stopping giving your lawn the cold shoulder in winter!