Seasonal Lawn Care Tips for the winter

Although winter is quickly approaching and soon it will be too cold for grass to grow, lawn care doesn't quite end in the winter. Despite the drastic drop in temperature and occasional snow, you shouldn't neglect to care for your yard or it will definitely be unsightly and you'll have a lot more work in spring. Winters in New Jersey can be especially unpredictable and put your grass through extreme temperature fluctuations. Since we are mindful of this, we've provided some useful tips that will help you to properly prepare your lawn for the cold. 

Remove any leaves and debris from your lawn

As soon as the leaves begin to fall, you should remove them from your lawn. While this job may stretch over several weeks, leaving all of them until the end could kill of some of your remaining grass, which needs sunlight and air to survive. 

Cut your grass short

Once you are sure that the grass has stopped growing, cut it one last time to prevent a buildup of dead grass in the spring. Having grass that is too high can cause problems with snow mold in the early spring and possibly delay your lawn becoming green. Keep the ¾ rule in mind: cut your grass until it is about ¾ of an inch tall. 

De-weed your lawn

In addition to cutting your lawn, you should also remove any weeds prior to winter setting in. You can do this by spraying a weed killer or manually pulling them up. If you choose the latter, make sure that you pull out the roots of the weed or it'll just grow back. 

Fertilize your lawn

Fertilizer is a key ingredient to a fresh, healthy, and beautiful lawn. You should continue to fertilize your yard up until the winter season really sets in. It will help the roots of your grass survive the winter weather and stay strong for the following spring season. 

Know what threats your lawn faces

In addition to taking the above steps to shield your grass, you should be aware of the threats that it faces from the winter weather. For example, prolonged snow cover can cause pink and gray snow mold, which can seriously threaten your lawn. 

As the seasons change, you should continuously monitor the weather so you can manage your yard properly. Lawn care is especially important now because it will help the grass to grow stronger and healthier in the springtime, when it's time to turn on your sprinkler systems in NJ again and bring your lawn back to life.