How Lawn Maintenance Changes From Fall to Winter in Monroe NY
Lawn maintenance in Monroe, Chester, Goshen and Middletown, NY
Believe it or not, the preparations you make in your fall and winter lawn will be the catalyst for a thriving spring stand of grass and great landscape health. These tips for how to change lawn maintenance from fall into winter can be what you should focus on in your Monroe, NY, lawn to ensure a gorgeous spring and summer lawn.
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Evaluate the Soil
Use the late fall and early winter to test your soil for nutritional deficiencies which can rob the grass of the essential food it needs to winter well. Understanding the pH needs of your grass can also be important for the soil amendments that you need to apply to allow ample time for them to work.
Soil amendments can change the composition of the soil by helping the plants to absorb the nutrients more readily. Amendments such as organic matter, lime, and types of sulfur are meant to be worked into the soil to improve the oxygen, microorganisms, the way the soil holds water, and the compaction of the soil.
Remove the Leaves
When you see all of the leaves that were so gorgeous until they landed on your yard just lying there waiting to be removed, you might be tempted to let them stay but this would be a big mistake. The leaves can become matted and sit on your grass, trapping moisture and blocking oxygen to the roots. Once this happens, it can be the perfect breeding ground for mold and fungus that kills the grass.
Fertilizer
A final application of fertilizer can be essential to giving the grass food to store for the dormant winter months. Fertilizer is composed of essential nutrients that helps grass survive the cold winter months through more root growth and extra energy reserves.
Overseed
Late fall/early winter can be an excellent time to overseed your current stand of grass for new growth in the spring. Combined with core aeration that removes a small plug of dirt to allow the seeds to be protected as they establish roots, overseeding can ensure that you will have new grass in the spring. Aeration also increases the oxygen and water and sunlight that reaches the roots of the grass, making the entire stand of grass, new and old, healthier.
Mowing
As the calendar moves from the fall to the winter, use that time to lower the height of the grass when mowing so that you don’t shock the roots and blades with an abrupt low mowing session. This can allow the grass and roots time to adjust to the low height but by then, the grass will have been aerated, fertilized, and the soil amended.
Weed Control
Weed control can be a year round battle but application of a pre-emergent weed control product in the early winter can stop those weeds from germinating in the springtime by creating a barrier over the soil. You might need to tackle some especially pesky weeds with a targeted weed killer, too.
When you want help caring for the tasks that are necessary to your late fall/early winter lawn, you need a comprehensive landscape service whose mission is to care for your lawn. Every job, large or small, is focused on creating the personalized outdoor environment that makes your landscape stand out among the rest.
Related: Why Hire a Landscaper to Handle Your Lawn Maintenance in the Fall in Hamptonburgh NY?