When winter arrives, many homeowners sigh with satisfaction because their to-do list for the yard will get smaller. After all, your grass starts to grow more slowly and the leaves stop blowing. So, not much to do, am I right? Wrong! Even though it may not require as much watering, fertilizing, or trimming as it does in the summer, your grass still requires some care throughout the chilly months. Consider sprucing up your landscaping this winter with winter lawn prep to help you get over the depressing winter blues and gloomy winter colors!
Keep Up With Maintenance
Winter weather does not require you to forgo any of the maintenance tasks that give your grass its best appearance. You can maintain the health of your lawn during the chilly months in Tennessee by performing a few easy yard work tasks. The following are examples of proper lawn maintenance procedures to get your grass ready for the winter:
- Mowing the lawn
- Tree pruning
- Installing mulch
- Tree deadwood should be removed
Slow Down on Your Mowing
Even though the growth of your grass slows down during the winter, it still continues! It’s crucial to keep up a mowing plan that offers your grass the attention it needs without overworking it during the chilly winter months in Tennessee. Stick to mowing your grass every 10–14 days until spring arrives. In the winter, overmowing your lawn can starve the grass by preventing it from photosynthesizing, leaving your lawn with dead grass.
Raking
One of the most crucial methods to maintain the health of your lawn over the winter is to keep it free of leaves and other debris. Your lawn could quickly become infected with mold and disease if there is a layer of cold, wet leaves there. Keep dirt and leaves off your grass continuously throughout the winter if you want to avoid this.
Prune Your Trees
For the rest of the year, trees must be properly trimmed throughout the winter months. This will improve the tree’s health as well as reduce the number of limbs you have to clean up from your yard. Trim conifers that have begun to grow out of control and prune deciduous trees to promote new growth in the spring. There is no better time to begin pruning than now because trees go dormant throughout the winter.
Put Down Mulch
If you decide to mulch your lawn this winter, be sure to do it around any trees, plants, or shrubs. Mulch helps prevent erosion and minimizes water loss, in addition to shielding your plants from the cold and snow. In Tennessee, following the first hard frost, is the ideal time to spread mulch since this will regulate the temperature and ensure that your soil has the right amount of nutrients and protection. Additionally, there are specific times when you should cover plants to ensure their survival during the winter. When a heavy frost is expected, place a tomato cage over your plant upside down and cover it with burlap, plastic, or thick fabric. Be careful not to touch the leaves of the plant with the covering, though. Take it off the next day when it gets warmer.
Weed Control
Your weeds may not be slowing down just because grass growth is. Although skipping your weed control treatments throughout the winter may be tempting, doing so is a crucial part of maintaining the long-term health of your lawn. When spring arrives, and your lawn isn’t battling to emerge from beneath a thick blanket of weeds, your grass will thank you!
Keep Watering Your Lawn
The dry winter weather in Nashville can have an adverse effect on more than just you; it can also harm your landscape. Maintaining sufficient hydration for your grasses, trees, and shrubs is crucial over the winter dormancy period to keep them happy and healthy come spring. To prevent overwatering your lawn and generating a layer of standing water on the hard, frozen ground, water more gradually than you would during other seasons, at a rate of around 5 minutes at a time.
Secure Lawn is your go-to lawn specialist all year round. Contact us for a free estimate today!
