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Keep your lawn healthy throughout the entire winter period by taking good care of your lawn. Failure to do means that unwanted plants also compete for nutrients, thus making your lawn less presentable or ready for the winter. The output of your effort may not be immediate but be prepared to see your lawn sparkling during the spring.
The best time to start thinking of Winterizing is during the Autumn, where any damages to your lawn become easy to handle.
Weeding and pruning become very important at this time because of the cooler temperatures. The earlier you start your preparation, the easier it will be to manage the lawn during the winter and later on.
Steps to Winterize Your Lawn Care and Landscaping
The changes in the weather may not be to your liking; it will not only affect your family but your lawn too. This gives you no other time to winterize your lawn but now. We will show you some of the crucial things that you must do for winterizing your home lawn.
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Check pH Levels
Checking the pH levels of your garden should be the first thing to do before making any major step. A neutral pH level shows a healthy lawn. You need to treat possible acidic patches with lime products to bring the pH to recommended levels.
Weeding
Weeding means you are keen on giving your lawn a better look by protecting the plants that matter. Removing weeds means that the lawn will benefit from all available nutrients.
Prepare Your Tools for Winter
The tools that you use for the winterization of the lawn deserve attention too. Storage and maintenance of all equipment will give you a good start in spring.
Make sure no garden hoses are lying on the ground because they are prone to bursting when the temperature falls because they are prone to bursting. A time will come when all the usual garden tools like the lawnmower, leaf blower, and rototiller will take a break and give room to the snowblower. Make sure that the blower is ready for the task ahead by making sure all its components are functioning
How About the Compost Bin
Where you store dead, leaves should matter because you may need the decomposed leaves after the winter is over. Decomposed plant materials have precious nutrients that you should not let erode by leaving the compost bin uncovered during the cold season. You can also put the raked leaves around the perimeter of the bin to insulate it from freezing
Adjusting the Mower Height
Adjust the lawn mower blades height not to go beyond two-thirds of the grass. This height is crucial as it keeps the ground shaded and reduces the rate at which water is lost through evaporation. Maintaining that height creates a warm blanket on the lawn before winter sets in.
Use Less Water
Unless you plant new seeds, gently water the lawn and maintain a moist lawn as long as you do not overwater or leave it dry. On the other hand, lawns do not grow quite rapidly in colder weather, so they do not require much water. You can cut back on how often you irrigate your lawn.
Use of Fertilizer and Reseeding
Planting goes hand in hand with the use of fertilizer. The general feeling is that these two can be done in early fall or late summer when you go for the early fall timing make sure you use a fertilizer that reacts slowly to release nitrogen over the months of winter.
Please note that the specific fertilizers used for winterizing lawns have more potassium than those used in other seasons. Use a spreader even to distribute the fertilizer evenly over the grass to maintain steady growth.
Aerating the Lawn
Aeration helps water, nutrients, and fertilizers to reach the roots of plants on the lawn. You have a choice of using rental aerators, or the manual versions, or even special shoes used for this task to aerate the garden while walking
Cover Plant Beds
Insulate the topsoil of your lawn by adding mulch or using cover crops. You can bring out the potted plants like lilies to survive as they wait to bloom in the spring. These cover crops help maintain your lawn throughout the winter.
Remove Debris
Leaves falling from trees nearby may prevent water from reaching the roots of the lawn. Use a rake to remove the dry leaves on top of the lawn. Failure to clear the leaves may lead to the formation of bald spots and dead grass.
An alternative to a rake is a leaf blower. The collected leaves and dead plants can be a good source of compost for future use.
Get Rid of Harmful Insects
Not all insects that visit your lawn are harmful to your plants. Identify the wreckers by consulting the local garden supplies on the best way of eliminating them without harming the plants or other friendly insects.
Spread the Cold Season Seeds
Before winter sets in, spread cold-season seeds that can grow during the cold months and make sure they germinate in time for the winter. Either you can use a spreader or hand-cast them on the lawn.
Marking Edges and Boundaries
Snow will always mask the garden making it difficult for you to know where your driveway starts or ends when you want to clear the snow. Adding markers will help you or the snow removal company to know where shoveling should begin. If you prefer working at night, use reflective markers around the lawn.
Why You Need a Healthy Lawn
You do not expect a healthy lawn when you do not follow any of the steps explained above. A good-looking lawn can only come from the special attention you give throughout the different weather cycles.
The lawn is an important landscape feature in the compound; you can use this feature to create harmony and lift your spirit by complementing plants and other visual components nearby.
Conclusion
Healthwise, lawns are significant in maintaining a clean environment by eliminating the amount of carbon dioxide and other pollutants. This cycle is important for human and animal survival.
Make sure the soil on your compound does not lose its value due to soil erosion by making sure you have a permanent plant cover throughout the year.
Author Bio
Jackie Greene is a blogger, gardener, and nutrition enthusiast. She enjoys creating organic meals for family and friends using the fresh ingredients she produces from her backyard homestead.
