When January rolls around, it’s a dormant season for your lawn. But despite the effects of winter on your turf, there are a few essential lawn services you can do to get it ready for the rest of the year—beginning with your yard’s soil.

How to Prep Your Lawn in the New Year

1. Soil Testing

The only way to know if you have the right balance of pH, phosphorus, and potassium in your soil is to get a soil sample. Your yard needs to get tested every two years, and the results help determine what your soil needs for your turf. The pH level of your soil must be at a certain level for the fertilizers to work properly, especially in tall fescue lawns. The Ph range is between 5.5 and 7 for optimum balance. Soil testing is a simple and inexpensive process, and you can contact your local Cooperative Extension Office to get started.

2. Lime Application

For tall fescue lawns, your lawn service team can apply lime to help balance the pH in your soil. When ph levels are below 5.5, that means the soil is acetic. That’s when the lime is important to help balance that ph level. It is best to prioritize soil maintenance like lime application in January since upkeep of the soil is the most you can do for your lawn during the colder winter months.

3. Other Lawn Maintenance

There usually isn’t a lot of activity with your lawn in the dead of winter, but some upkeep is needed to keep it thriving. While broadleaf weeds become scarcer as the season turns cold, some tend to pop up while your yard is waiting for spring to come around. Most lawn services will spot treat for these weeds while they are there for lime application to assure that this tiny problem doesn’t grow into a big one when the weather turns warm again. If the last of the leaves are still shaking from your trees, it’s also important to clear them from your lawn, as decaying leaves can damage the fescue if they’re left on it.

The key to a gorgeous lawn is yard-round maintenance by a premier lawn health treatment company. Residents around Lake Norman, NC, trust R & T Lawn Services, Inc. with this task because of their expert team and affordable prices. They are a valuable resource for lawn maintenance, providing advanced weed control, fertilization, over-seeding, and aeration services at the right time to help any yard thrive under even the toughest conditions. For more information about their range of services, such as lime application, call (704) 589-0713 or visit them online for a free consultation.