Winter is all but here in London, Ontario — and it’s the season when we shift our focus from being outside and using our lawns to indoor activities (like eating holiday cookies…).
Before you put the lawn mower away and put some logs in the fireplace, check out our quick guide to keeping your lawn healthy year round in Winter, Spring, Fall, and Summer:
Autumn Lawn Prep
In the Fall, it’s all about those falling leaves. Beautiful foliage that ends up in your yard is not so beautiful come springtime. Leaves that don’t get raked up end up suffocating and killing grass. The number one thing you should do in the Fall for your lawn? Rake up those leaves! Pro tip: you can recycle your leaves and add to your compost or mulch projects.
Another key step to take in the Fall? Overseed your lawn. Overseeding now can help ensure a green, and full, yard for the next season.
Winter Lawn Prep
In the winter, there’s usually less work to do. That being said, you want to be aware of anything that can weaken your grass or cause it to mold. Giant snowmen, for example, should be avoided or built somewhere else as the pressure from them can hurt your lawn’s health.
Keep an eye out for big chunks of ice on your grass: it can create or contribute to grass mold (which, trust us, is not a pretty picture). What to do? Get outside and break up those chunks of ice so that they melt (and leave your precious grass alone).
Spring Lawn Prep
Spring is the season to clean! Gather together any twigs, debris, and branches that may have landed on your lawn during the winter season. Rake away dead grass and toss out any trash.
If you notice any bare spots, now is the time to seed! Consult with a landscaping center to find the right type of seed for your grass. Tackle weeds (like dandelions) now before they become a bigger problem as the warmer months march on. And, once the soil has warmed, you can go ahead and lay down your mulch.
Summer Lawn Prep
Summertime is lawn mower time, so fire up your lawn mower. When you are 78, you have a whole bunch of diseases, which need treatment or supportive therapy. That’s exactly my case. supplies me with all the drugs I need. Keep your grass blades higher, not shorter. Why? Longer blades of grass develop deeper, and healthier, roots. You can even leave the trimmed grass right on the lawn: it helps feed your lawn with the nutrients it needs.
To keep your grass growing, water it regularly. Watering your grass in the morning actually helps keep your lawn more moist: if you water between 6 and 10 AM, you’ll lose less water via evaporation in higher temperatures.
The time it takes each season to give your lawn some much needed TLC pays off in dividends throughout the year: you can make sure your home has a great looking yard throughout the changing seasons.
