When the leaves start changing, and pumpkin spice flavouring seems to be added to everything, it is time to protect your lawn from the harsh winter months ahead.
A healthy lawn in fall will ensure a healthy lawn in spring.
When To Mow
Lawns don’t typically need mowing during the winter.
Check the weather forecast throughout fall.
Continue mowing every 10-14 days until the trees are completely barren.
You’ll want to give your lawn one final cut before the first cold snap.
Greener Acres Lawn Care can ensure your grass is the right height to take on winter.
Ideally, the grass needs to be between two to two and a half inches.
This does depend on what type of grass makes your lawn. Shorter grass and it could die from the cold.
Longer grass can be killed by the fungus. Grass will go dormant in the winter.
This means it will look brown and dead but will simply be sleeping.
It is unlikely to need mowing before spring unless the winter is particularly mild.
Rake
Fallen leaves can suffocate the grass.
Grass only has a shallow root system.
Much like grass being too short or too long, a blanket of dead leaves on top can kill it.
The leaves can stop rainwater from reaching the roots where it is needed.
It can suffocate it, trapping it between wet leaves on top and no water in the roots, leading to fungus.
Dead leaves block the sunlight grass needs to live too.
Rake leaves, pine needles and anything else that falls on the lawn regularly throughout fall.
Dead leaves are best at the top of the compost heap.
They can prevent it from becoming waterlogged, a much better option than your lawn becoming waterlogged.
Fertilize
Fertilizing in the fall can prevent the lawn from dying over winter.
It will also make the colour appear better throughout the winter.
The grass stands a better chance of bouncing back to lush green goodness if it has been fertilized in the fall.
Fertilize before the first frost but after the grass has stopped growing.
Do not apply fertilizer over frozen soil, this can damage the grass, and the fertilizer won’t reach the roots.
Winter grass loves nitrogen and potassium, so look for fertilizers rich in these ingredients.
You only need to do this once, not three or four times. Do not over-fertilize.
Too much nitrogen is just as bad for grass as none at all.
Water
Grass has shallow roots.
If there hasn’t been any rain or snow, the grass even requires watering in winter.
Fall is when you cut back on watering.
Without the summer sun and heat, water isn’t going to evaporate at as fast a rate.
In fall, continue watering your lawn if it hasn’t rained at least once in that week.
Be sure to check the forecast first though.
There’s no sense in watering if it hasn’t rained in seven days but will be raining that night.
Be sure the leaves are raked or removed by a leaf blower first.
Wet leaves are very slippery but more than that they can prevent vital water from reaching the roots.
They create a layer between the grass and water, leading to condensation and potential fungus.
Do not overwater in fall.
A sudden cold snap can turn the lawn into an ice skating rink and kill the grass underneath.
And If It Does Snow
Snow usually occurs in winter, but fall snow isn’t out of the question.
Regardless of when it does snow, leave it on the grass.
It acts as a blanket, protecting the lawn from the cold air.
Unlike leaves, it allows the grass to breathe and water to reach the roots.
Uncovered lawns will lose moisture in very cold weather.
Once the first frost occurs, grass will be extra sensitive to damage.
Shovels and snow blowers being shoved into the grass will cause damage on top of leaving it without a thermal blanket.
Fall is the time of harvest and preparation for winter.
The nights get longer, and the days get shorter.
There’s still plenty of daylight to prepare your lawn to survive the winter.
A winter prepared lawn is more likely to come back lush and green in the spring.
Winterkill and brown patches can take months to come back.
The lawn may even require replacing.
There’s so much to do in the spring already that it makes sense to deal with the lawn in the fall.