When many of us think of autumnal lawncare, we tend to think that we just need to rake leaves and pick up sticks. Unfortunately, that’s not the case—now’s the time to start winterizing your lawn. This post will cover all of the winterizing steps and help answer some vital questions, like does winterizing your yard help prepare it for the winter season?
Essential winterization tips
- Prep sprinklers: One of the most important steps that often gets neglected is winterizing your sprinkler system. This involves blowing out any leftover water with an air compressor to prevent the system from freezing up in the winter months. This can be a DIY chore, but we recommend hiring the pros.
- Check pH levels: Knowing the pH level in your soil goes a long way in growing a healthy yard. The best soil is neutral. Soil that’s too acidic or alkaline can lead to thin grass. Treat acidic patches with lime products and alkaline areas with sulfur.
- Remove weeds: Those dastardly weeds will compete with your plants for precious nutrients during the winter months. Pull up all of the weeds you see and apply a weed-killing formula to eliminate any that could be hiding.
- Spread fertilizer: There are special fertilizers designed to be applied this time of year. These fertilizers have higher potassium content and will strengthen plants when they’re stressed due to cold temperatures. Be careful not to over-fertilize, as this can actually burn your lawn.
- Aerate: Aerating the lawn allows water, air and nutrients down into the roots, where your grass needs them the most. Aerate now before it gets too cold outside to help keep your grass strong throughout the winter.
- Spread grass seed: The optimal temperature for new grass growth is when the daytime temperatures are between 60 and 70 degrees. So, now’s the perfect time to get outside and seed your lawn. Talk to your sprinkler professional about the best types of grass seed for your property.
- Cover plant beds: Your flowers and shrubs need as much help as they can get during the winter. The best thing you can do is insulate them with a layer of mulch or cover them with burlap. Consider repotting smaller plants and bringing them inside for protection.
Does winterizing your yard help prepare it for the winter season?
Now that we’ve covered a few of the steps involved in winterizing your yard, let’s answer the real question—why is it important to winterize your lawn? Winterizing prepares your lawn for the colder temperatures so that it survives through the dead of winter and returns each spring in perfect condition. Neglecting to winterize can start next spring off on the wrong foot.
Winterize your lawn today
It’s obvious that you need to winterize your lawn. And for the best help winterizing your sprinkler system, hire our team at Star Sprinkler Systems Inc. Call today to schedule an appointment or to learn more about why it’s so important to winterize your lawn.