Winter can wreak havoc upon your lawn, and it’ll be here before you know it. Even though you can’t exactly water and mow the yard during hard freezes, there’s plenty of winter lawn care you can do in Burlington County, NJ.
Here’s how to take care of your yard during the winter so it bounces back in the spring:
- Fertilize the grass: Fertilizing might sound strange during the cold winter months, but it’s important. You should fertilize before the first deep frost arrives. This helps deliver essential nutrients to your grass, which helps it survive the winter. In fact, if you fertilize before winter truly sets in, you can expect earlier new growth when spring finally rolls around. Anyone who loves a beautiful green lawn should make sure they stay on top of their fertilization schedule.
- Aerate the lawn: Aerating your lawn is a once-per-year task that helps your soil deliver oxygen and nutrients to your grass and plants. Basically, you’ll break up the existing turf with tools like hand or gas-powered aerators. (Some of them look like pitchforks, while automated ones look like lawnmowers.) Be aware that hand-aerating your lawn is labor intensive, but it’s a necessary task, especially if your lawn gets a lot of traffic. This helps your grass grow without having to fight off weeds.
- Plant more grass: Here’s another item for your to-do list: seed the lawn before the winter sets in. Your grass roots will grow a lot during the winter months, so this is actually the ideal time to do what you can to make sure you have a lush green lawn come springtime. Make sure to buy high-quality seeds, as they’ll be more resistant to insects, disease and the cold. After you seed the lawn, water it every day until you see sprouts—this can take up to three weeks.
- Mow and water occasionally: This might seem counter-intuitive, but you should mow your lawn during the winter. Your grass should always be between two to three inches tall during the winter months. Too short, and it could die off, while too long, and it will mat or develop snow mold. Naturally, you can’t water your lawn during the deep freezes (below 0 degrees Fahrenheit) because the water can’t penetrate the ground, but do make sure you water it occasionally when the ground isn’t frozen.
- Mulch it: Finally, any leaves and plant debris that’s left on your lawn will cause it to mold or develop unsightly brown patches. To combat this, rake your leaves regularly, especially before the first hard freeze. You can mulch all your yard waste and distribute it over your yard to protect it from freezing and wind.
For help with your lawn maintenance in Burlington County, NJ, including winterizing and spring startup services for your sprinkler system, let the team at Star Sprinkler Systems Inc. help. We can help you take care of your sprinkler system and lawn so you’ll have a lush lawn to enjoy in the spring.