Winter Lawn Care 101: How to Prep and Maintain Your Lawn During the Winter Months
As much as we don’t want to admit it, it’s time to start thinking about winter lawn care. Winterizing your yard can be a daunting task, but we’re here to help make it easy with our Winter Lawn Care 101 guide. Read on for what you need to know about taking care of your lawn now and through the whole winter season!
Prep Your Outdoor Furniture
Prepping your outdoor furniture for winter is an important part of your winter lawn care routine but is often forgotten. Cleaning your outdoor furniture before storing it for winter will help to prevent mold and mildew from forming. This includes cleaning and drying pillows and cushions used outdoors. Be sure to choose the right type of soap based on the material of your furniture.
Protect your furniture either with a coat of sealant or with covers. Covering your furniture with sealant can help prevent rust and keep your furniture looking newer, longer. Covering your furniture with tarps or other materials will help protect the furniture from water and dust. Once it’s cleaned and properly protected, you should feel comfortable storing it away for the season.
Prep Your Outdoor Kitchen Area as Part of Your Winter Lawn Care Routine
You love your outdoor kitchen area, so make sure you add this area into your winter lawn care routine. If your outdoor kitchen area has any pipes running to it, it is important to drain the pipes. If not, the water left in the pipes can freeze, causing the pipes to burst. This can create a huge and expensive hassle for you. Keep the drain valves open throughout the winter so that any moisture that accumulates can drain out.
Even if you have plans to use your grill on the rare warm days during the winter, it is important to give your grill a good scrubbing before it gets too cold. Degrease the hood and remove the grates to clean underneath. Use a metal grill brush to clean any areas that still have some dirt. This is also a great time to season your grill if that is part of your grill upkeep. Once you’ve cleaned and seasoned your grill, cover it with a material that allows moisture to escape to protect it, but also prevents mold and mildew.
When preparing to store your firepit for the winter, you guessed it, the first step is to remove the ashes and debris from the pit. To protect the fire pit from the weather, you can move it indoors or you can cover it. When covering the fire pit, use a cover that is weather resistant and fits the dimensions of your specific fire pit.
Clean Up Your Lawn
After you’ve prepped your furniture, the next step in your winter lawn care routine to is clean up your yard. Pick up and store any toys, tools, or pool accessories in weather appropriate storage. If you have lawn decorations that only make an appearance when it’s warm, now is the time to bundle them up for the fall and winter.
Not only should you clean your yard of warm weather toys and accents, but also of any extra yard debris lying around, including branches and leaves. Leaving this debris on your grass during the winter months not only makes it a hassle to shovel snow but can also stunt the growth of new grass come spring.
Take Care of Your Grass
While it may not make sense at first, it’s important to get that last cut of the season in. The ideal height of your grass is about 2 inches. This height protects the grass from being damaged from excess snow and ice. However, two inches is long enough to keep the soil protected and thriving.
Once the grass is cut, it’s time to aerate and fertilize your yard. Aerating is the process of creating small holes in your yard, either manually or with a machine. Aerating your lawn allows more space for air, nutrients, and water to penetrate deeper into the soil This alleviates soil compaction and creates a stronger, thicker lawn.
Fertilizing your lawn as part of your winter lawn care routine will also help to create a thicker lawn. It is important to spread the fertilizer evenly across your yard. Take care not to spread too much fertilizer, as this can have the opposite effect and actually and burn your grass. While the fertilizer may not show any results during the winter, it will already be in the soil once spring starts providing nutrients as soon as the weather begins to warm up.
Mulching is Also Part of Winter Lawn Care
While most people only think to lay mulch in the spring, laying mulch is a great addition to your winter lawn care prep. Not only does mulching help lessen soil erosion, there are many other benefits of mulch for all seasons.
A 2-inch layer of mulch will help reduce the amount of water lost from your plants during the winter. Mulch is also an excellent way to maintain moderate temperature year-round, reducing the risk of damage done to your plants. Mulch can also ward off pests while providing nutrients to the soil.
Clean and Seal Your Patio Before Winter
Patio sealing and cleaning are an important part of prepping for winter. Patio stone can be slightly porous, which means water and small pieces of debris can cause damage to your patio, such as cracks, stains, and erosion. Patio sealing is an easy way to increase the longevity of your patio. Extend the beauty of your patio through the winter months by cleaning and then sealing it before winter hits.
Connecticut outdoor living can be almost a year-round activity if you take proper care of your yard. By maintaining a winter lawn care routine, your main priority during the winter can be making snowmen and participating in snowball fights. Speaking with experts can be beneficial in order to choose the right products for your yard. Contact Haynes today if you’d like help perfecting your winter lawn care routine.