Three Tips to Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

Winter is a time when your lawn most likely will be covered with some snow at some time. Before the flakes fly, though, there are a few things that you can do for your lawn to help prepare it for the cold, snowy season ahead. Did you know your lawn naturally soaks up energy, moisture and nutrients during the fall in order to prepare for the winter? Nature has a way of preparing for seasonal changes, but as the caretaker of your lawn, there are three things you can do now to help it be best prepared for the colder months.

Aeration and Raking

Aerating a lawn involves using a machine to punch holes into the soil while extracting dirt. There are self-propelled aerators you can rent, or pull-behind-tractor ones that’ll do the job well. In addition, as much as people don’t love cleaning up leaves, it’s still a smart idea to do so because – like aerating a lawn – raking leaves helps your lawn and the soil take in energy, moisture and nutrients. If you don’t rake or mulch the leaves, they tend to form an impenetrable barrier over the lawn, suffocating the grass. Plus, while covered up, fungal diseases can develop and grow, and you don’t want that happening.

Fertilize and Repair

If you’re going to fertilize your lawn, the fall is a great time to do it. Fertilizer acts as a nutrient booster and helps prepare the grass and soil for the coming winter – when it is especially in need of nutrients. You can rent or buy a drop-spreader or broadcast spreader to distribute the fertilizer evenly throughout your lawn. Fall is also a smart time to use lawn repair mixture or reseeding blend – available at most area lawn and garden supply stores – to fill in any bald or thin spots.

Weeding

For areas of your lawn prone to weeds, fall is a good time to apply an herbicide to help kill them. By treating for weeds before the flakes fly, you can help prevent weeds from being an issue in the spring. Weeds will have an even more difficult time surviving the winter if weed killer is applied in the fall, helping save you time and effort fighting them in the spring.

Before the snow takes over, aerate and fertilize your lawn and apply weed killer as needed. At Lawrence Tool Rental, we offer rental lawn care equipment to help you complete your fall landscaping projects. For more information, contact us today at 317-826-2654.