Here in the Midwest, we know that once November rolls around, winter weather could be here any time. With the cool season grasses typically found up here in the mitten, it’s important to winterize. Unfortunately, our fall has been a wet and windy one. That means that winterization efforts may have been delayed. With winter at our doorsteps, here are some last minute lawn winterization tips!
Pre-Winter Fertilizer
Michigan is notorious for its unapologetic and seemingly endless winters. The freezing temperatures and heavy snow can be extremely stressful for our lawns. Don’t worry, there’s a way to help: pre-winter fertilizer.
Using a pre-winter fertilizer at the end of the fall is probably the best thing you can do for your lawn all year. Cool-season grasses like Kentucky bluegrass, fine and tall fescue, and perennial ryegrass beef up during fall. They soak up nutrients, strengthen their root systems, and grow to prepare for the winter. Pre-winter fertilizers help your lawn out by giving it the nutrients it needs, specifically potassium. Potassium will help to make your lawn resistant to the cold and stresses of Michigan’s unforgiving winter. Not only will your lawn be healthier this winter, but it’ll also store these nutrients and be ready come spring!
Aerate
Another great way to get your lawn ready for the winter is aeration. Basically, aeration is the process of poking holes or pulling up plugs of soil from your lawn. Usually by this time of year the soil of our lawn is pretty compacted. If you aerate your lawn it’ll loosen up your soil, allowing air, water, and nutrients to get to the roots. When used with a pre-winter fertilizer, lawn aeration can be a real game changer.
What About the Leaves?
Let’s face it, nobody likes raking leaves. It’s an endless job and one that (unless your trees miraculously stop growing) gets more difficult every year. However, eliminating leaf debris is an absolute must if you want a healthy lawn in the spring.
The fall this year has been an especially wet one, making it difficult for homeowners to get out and rake those leaves. By now there are plenty of lawns with a vast yellow and brown blanket of leaves covering their grass. The grass beneath this leafy layer is absolutely begging for help! The leaves trap moisture while blocking sunlight and air from getting down to the grass. If left all winter, you may have a wicked snow mold problem when the snow melts this spring.
Ready, Set, Mow!
Don’t put that lawn mower away just yet. End of the year mowing is a great way to get your lawn ready for the dormant winter months. Not only that, it will help keep the pests away as the temperatures continue to drop. Insects and mice tend to look for tall grass to nest in for the winter. As the temperatures drop, those pests in your scruffy lawn will get closer and closer to your house. Before you know it, you have a pest problem in your home! Mow your lawn this fall and make your lawn unappealing to pests. A good rule of thumb is to cut your lawn a ½ inch shorter than you normally would in the summer.
Call the Professionals
There’s still time to get your lawn ready for winter! Custom Lawn Care has pre-winter fertilization treatments and an aeration service that will help you get your lawn ready for the winter months ahead. Contact us now or call (800) 570-3313 for more information.
