Many homeowners take a break from routine lawn care maintenance in the winter. While the grass isn’t growing as much, there’s still plenty you can do to prepare your yard to thrive when spring rolls around. Follow these winter lawn care tips to enjoy lush, green grass come spring.

What Lawn Care Can You Do in the Winter?

1. Aerate & Fertilize

This needs to be done before the first snow to ensure that the roots receive the nutrients and oxygen they need to prosper in the spring. Core aeration creates pores in the ground that make it easier for the roots to receive the air and water they need to grow. It also helps the fertilizer reach the roots. Professionals perform this task by using a machine that inserts hollow prongs into the earth to create small pockets of air.

2. Clear Off All Debris

Those piles of leaves littering the lawn can cause several problems. Their accumulated weight suffocates the grass underneath and creates dead patches. Wet leaves can create conditions where lawn-killing diseases  thrive. Having debris routinely removed pays dividends.

3. Use the Right Deicing Solution

Rock salt is useful for removing ice, but it’s also hazardous for your lawn. As the ice melts, it covers the grass in chloride ions, which starve the root systems. Instead, use options like calcium chloride, magnesium chloride, or potassium chloride to keep ice at bay while still protecting your lawn.

4. Overseeding

Adding more grass seeding during the winter season ensures that your lawn is full all year long. Find a cool-season grass that can handle the harsher conditions to fill any dead spaces. This will make it more resilient next winter when the warm-season grass goes dormant.

5. Stay Off of It

Grass becomes more brittle during the colder months, and too much foot traffic is an easy way to kill it. Make sure you and any guests stick to the driveway and any walkways when traversing your property. Otherwise, you’ll be left with a stretch of dead grass when spring arrives.

 

If you need help keeping your lawn healthy during the winter months, contact the lawn care experts at The Lawn Surgeon LLC in Cromwell, CT. For the past 25 years, this family-run commercial landscaping company has been helping homeowners throughout the Hartford area keep their lawns looking great year-round. They have the experience and tools needed to ensure yours survives the winter and is positioned to thrive in spring. Call (860) 635-1127 to schedule an appointment or learn more about their services online.