The key to making sure you have a beautiful yard every spring is first properly preparing it for the long winter. Whether we have a mild winter here in North Texas or experience one of our periodic “frozen” Februarys, it’s a better plan to take some easy steps that can bring your grass back greener and healthier than ever before once Spring comes back around.
Rake Up Those Leaves
If Autumn leaves your grass covered in crunchy brown leaves, don’t leave them there — rake them up. Leaving a thick layer of leaves in your yard can keep your grass from getting the air and nutrients it takes and lead to entire areas of your lawn where the grass is dead mainly because it struggleswith a limited air supply. However, a couple of leaves and clippings can in fact break up into fertilizer as the winter proceeds, providing your yard with nutrients it needs to remain healthy.
Aerate Your Lawn AFTER the Final Mowing of the Season
Before packing your mower away for your season, proper lawn care requires one further mowing session. Cut the grass somewhat shorter than you might normally because lengths more than 2 ” could trap moisture and cause disease throughout the year. When you’ve completed mowing for the last time, another lawn care step is usually to aerate the soil. For example using a bit of machinery that penetrates the soil, pulling small plugs of dirt out and allowing oxygen to enter into the grass. Many lawn care services offer lawn aeration or you can also rent the gear from your local home improvement center.
Lawn Care Basics: Seed, Fertilize, Then Water
For those who have sparse patches or bald spots in your yard, apply some grass seed after aerating. This can let the seed to germinate in the cooler temperatures, which assists in eliminating the number of weeds which could grow along with your new seed. To give the new seeds a better chance to grow, apply a slow releasing fertilizer. Select a formula that’s specifically created for winterizing. This helps to ensure that your yard receives nutrients throughout the winter season. After application, give your yard a good drink: the watering will activate the fertilizer.
Speak To A Professional For Lawn Bug Control
The kind of pests can vary greatly according to where you live so it is a good idea to call an expert for lawn pest control. Whether you’re facing grubs or other pests, a lawn bug elimination company knows how to get rid of them, yet still leave friendly creatures like earthworms alone.
Look At Your Sprinklers
In the event that you have an underground sprinkler system, check to ensure it’s been drained properly before we have our first deep freeze. Water that’s left in the underground lines can expand when it freezes, causing the pipes to burst, explode and spew water in your yard.
Take these few simple steps and you’ll be greeted with lush, green grass when spring finally appears.