Because most grasses lie dormant in the cold, winter may seem like the least important time for lawn maintenance. But there are a few important tips most landscapers recommend to ensure that a healthy lawn emerges when spring arrives.

A to Z Property Maintenance, based in Brookfield, is one of western Connecticut’s most experienced lawn care services. Below they suggest five tips to help keep your lawn healthy over the winter months.

5 Tips To Keep Your Lawn Healthy Over The Winter

Keep Grass Short

As winter approaches, professional lawn care services gradually shorten the cut of a lawn with each mow, ending with a very tidy cut just before winter sets in. This protects new growth over the winter while making the lawn less inviting to damaging pests like field mice and voles.

Combat Weeds

If your lawn is sown with warm season grass, it will turn brown during the dormant winter months. This makes aggressive weeds easy to spot. Of course, most Connecticut lawns are sown with cool season grasses, but even these will typically go dormant and resist growing during winter. If you’ve cut your grass short in the late fall, weeds will be easy to spot by virtue of their height and aggressive growth.

Keep Your Lawn Clean

Make sure you clear the last of the autumn leaves from your lawn as well as any other debris that may accumulate over the winter. Any remaining piles of leaves or organic matter can kill turf crowns while they’re dormant and leave your lawn susceptible to snow mold.

Tread Lightly In Snow

Healthy lawns can withstand periodic snow cover over the winter, but the turf is more vulnerable when frozen or soaked from snowmelt. Landscapers recommend reducing foot traffic during winter to avoid tearing up the turf while it’s at its weakest.

Fertilize

Fertilization and aeration should ideally be done in late fall or early winter before the first freeze. Even though dormant grass may not be actively growing over winter, fertilization can feed the roots throughout the cold season, leaving robust plants ready to spring back to life when the weather warms.

Most landscapers agree that following these five strategies can lead to a verdant, healthy lawn when spring arrives. For western Connecticut’s finest lawn care services all year round, turn to Brookfield’s trusted A to Z Property Maintenance. Visit their website to learn more, or call (203) 775-9174 to schedule a visit.