juliewoodw@coldwellbanker.com
Call Me Today: 361-563-7788

Get Your Lawn Ready For The Winter

Get Your Lawn Ready For The WinterWith the weather getting colder outside, you need to make sure your lawn is ready for the cooler temperatures. Of course, every lawn is different. A lawn that is located in Arizona is going to be exposed to different temperatures than a lawn that is located in Connecticut. At the same time, there are a few common tasks you need to complete if you want to prepare your lawn for the winter months.

Shut Off The Water

You don’t need to water your lawn as much during the winter as you do during the summer. At the same time, the exact amount of water you need to provide your lawn will depend on where you live. If you are in a warmer climate, reduce your irrigation. If you are in a cooler climate, you need to shut off the irrigation system completely. They aren’t needed, but you also don’t want them to freeze when the temperature drops below freezing.

Rake Your Leaves

You need to rake the leaves off your yard as quickly as possible. This is an important part of protecting your lawn during the winter. If you have a large carpet of wet leaves on your grass, they will gradually destroy your lawn, as the trapped water will lead to the growth of mold and mildew. Do not allow the leaves to sit on top of your grass.

Cut Your Grass

Do not forget that you need to mow the lawn as well. Even though your lawn is probably not going to grow much during October and November, you need to trim your grass just before winter approaches. If you live in a warm area, you should skip a few weeks, giving your lawn mower time between trims. If you live in a cold area, you need to lower the blades, keeping your lawn approximately ¾ of an inch tall. That way, you don’t have to worry about your grass being matted if you get a lot of snow.

Take Care Of Your Lawn During The Winter

These are a few of the most important tips you need to follow to make sure you take care of your lawn during the winter. If you prepare now, you will enjoy a beautiful lawn during the spring. 

How To Revive A "Brown Lawn"

Brown lawnsDuring summer months, a lush, green lawn can transform into a brown one within weeks. And heat, while oftentimes a catalyst, is not always the culprit.

As a homeowner, you can take precautions to minimize the likelihood of a brown lawn.

First, let’s look at the reasons why a lawn may go brown, starting with drought stress.

Drought stress is a condition caused by excessive heat and/or lack of water. Drought stress can lead to dormancy, a normal condition for grasses of all types. A good test for draught stress is to step on one of the grass’ brown patches. If your footstep remains as an imprint in the grass, it’s likely that your lawn is water-deprived.

Brown spots from drought stress appear randomly and without pattern. This is different from brown spots that may occur because a sprinkler system is miscalibrated, or because some lawn sections are shaded whereas others are exposed to direct sunlight.

Lawns which have been dormant for long periods of time may need to be reseeded.

Drought stress also reduces your lawn’s natural defenses against pests and disease. This includes plant-based pests such as weeds which can starve your grass of much-needed food and water, as well as insects such as lawn grubs and chinch bugs. 

These two forces, as well, can lead to brownout.

Lastly, your grass may be dying. Either from a lack of aeration; or, cutting grass blades too short to provide “natural shade”; or, over-watering among other reasons, your grass may not live forever and, when it dies, it’s likely to thin and turn brown.

The good news is that each of these conditions is non-permanent. You may not have stopped your lawn from turning brown, but, generally, you can nurse it back to being green.

To water a brown lawn back to health, start with a steady watering schedule — typically 2 hours every few days (approximately 1 inch of water) — and be careful not to over-water. Then, just wait. It may take a lawn 3-4 weeks to return to its natural green color.

Then, to manage weeds, use an over-the-counter herbicide. For larger weed problems, get treatment by a professional lawn care company. The same is true for pests, too. Tackle them yourself but using a lawn care company can be more efficient and effective.