Lawn care: preparing for winter

As we move into the winter months, many people think that lawn maintenance is halted until the spring. While this may seem true by observing the slow growth and loss of color from an existing lawn, there is still plenty of care grasses can benefit from.

Zoysia grass with flagstone steps

As the season gets colder the grass will begin to go dormant; This is the perfect time to replace your bi-weekly mowing with other maintenance like aerating, raking and top dressing.

Aerating

As the year goes by foot traffic and a lack of watering can cause compacted soil. This can lead to lack of air flow, water flow and poor soil nutrition. Aerating creates holes in the lawn to alleviate compaction and promote better air and water flow. Be sure to do this before the first freeze, so the lawn has the opportunity to repair itself before going dormant.

Raking

Raking is essential for a full and healthy lawn. Not only does raking remove the falling leaves from any trees nearby, but it helps remove thatch: an organic material that has accumulated on the lawn and has not decomposed yet. Thatch can disrupt the growth of grasses in any lawn as it will inhibit growth in those covered areas.

Top dressing

Winter is an especially stressful time for any lawn, however top dressing is one way to help protect your lawn. Once any fallen leaves or thatch have been removed and the lawn is aerated, a garden mixture that is high in sand should applied. This will allow the topdressing to fill the new air channels created while aerating. Be sure to not leave the layers too thick or lumpy as it will be more problematic than helpful for the grass.

Vallan Landscaping

At Vallan Landscaping, we pride our company on reliability, great communication, integrity and quality work. We strongly believe in seamlessly integrating native plants with the best materials and unique designs to make landscape dreams a reality. We are experts in our trade and will always keep you educated on your home projects.