Maintaining your Lawn in the Winter

As the cooler months approach, people tend to forget about their backyards as they do not spend as much time in them as they do during spring and summer. This is especially the case when the first snow falls, and people cannot even see their lawns anymore, and they go by the old saying “out of sight, out of mind”. But as soon as the temperature rises, and the grass starts showing, you will realize that you are in big trouble and that you should have paid more attention. The good news is, there are several things you can do to make your lawn look fresh and tended in the spring.

Autumnal preparation

Autumn is the time of the year when leaves start falling of the trees, covering your lawn and preventing it from receiving enough sunlight. This is why you should remove them as often as possible, because eventually it will damage some areas and destroy the grass completely. Dead leaves may create wet spots which later become mossy and moldy.

If you already have a problem with the grass lacking in some areas, you can buy grass seeds and plant them in the autumn, which proved to be the best time of the year for seed germination, as the weeds grow less during this period.

Winter comes

In summer, because of high temperature and a lot of sunlight, grass looses all of its nutrients, so it is very important to fertilize it. This way, when the first snow falls it will keep the fertilizer on the soil to feed the land during the winter.

You also need to have in mind that in cooler months, grass tends to grow much slower then it does the rest of the year. Because of this, you will not mow your lawn as often as you are used to, but in about every 5-6 weeks. Mice and other burrowing animals tend to look for a warm place to sleep during the winter, so when you do cut your lawn, cut it shorter than you usually do to prevent them from moving into your backyard.

Maintenance with lawn mowers

Your lawn mower also has to be kept in a good condition. You should make sure that the blades are always sharp, so that the grass is cut evenly. Also, to minimize the damaging while you are mowing, it is advisable to use cordless tools. You are already damaging the lawn a bit just by walking over it, so a a cordless lawn mower is a great way to minimize the amount of things dragging on your lawn and destroying it. Cordless lawn mower, as well as other tools this kind, is very practical and easy to use because you do not have a cable standing in your way.

One last tip, not just for the winter, but the whole year long: stay away from the lawn! Never let anyone walk across it, make them walk on the sidewalks – they are there for reason. Never let anyone park on it either, as car tires are the fastest way to kill it and make room for the weeds to grow. Finally, no matter how much you like it, if you want to keep your lawn fresh and neat, do not place any furniture on it. It does feel good to sit on that beautiful green surface while you drink your morning coffee, but once you move off the lawn, you will realize that you left ugly holes in the grass. Always sit on your patio!

Author’s bio: Dan Radak is VPS security and Hosting generaly specialist. Currently employed as a consultant in couple of Web Hosting companies. In his free time he likes to play with his pets and maintains his garden. You can reach him on Twitter.