Winter Yard Maintenance: What To Do

Spring is coming up but it's not here yet - but read below to find out all about what winter yard maintenance is required for a healthy lawn come spring!

Keep Your Yard Clean and Free of Debris

One of the most important things you can do in the winter for your lawn is to keep it clear and free of debris. Pooling water, toys, leaves or other debris left unattended over the winter could cause damage, rot or even attract vermin.

Make sure to have a clean, open well maintained lawn throughout the winter - even if it goes dormant and even if you get snow in your area!

Aerate

Aerating your lawn is an important part of long term yard health and an essential part of winter yard maintenance. Jimsmowing.comwrote about the importance and nuts and bolts of lawn aeration. They said,

"What is soil aeration and why do you have to do it?

Essentially, soil aeration is about perforating the soil on your lawn. The small holes created through aeration facilitate the penetration of air, water and vital nutrients down to the roots of the grass. In turn, when the grass’s roots receive an ample supply of these resources, it grows deeply and becomes more resilient.

Soil aeration is essential because it offers a remedy for one common problem lawn owners face: soil compaction. Soil compaction prevents the grass’s roots from receiving the essential resources these need for optimal growth. Combined with lawn thatch, compacted soil can starve the grass.

What are the signs that you need to aerate your lawn?

One of the main causes of soil compaction is the high amount of traffic on lawns. If your yard is often used by your kids and pets as a playground, this is one sign that you need to aerate your lawn.

If your home is newly constructed, you may also need to aerate your lawn. The main reason behind this is that the topsoil of new homes are usually stripped and it is highly likely that the subsoil has been compacted due to the high volume of traffic during the last stages of construction.

If there is soil layering in your lawn because it was recently established, you will need to aerate the soil to break up the layering and facilitate the optimal flow of water down to the roots.

If you do not notice any of these signs, it is best to aerate your lawn during winter.

One of the main problems that you will encounter during winter is the reduced water retention capacity of the soil which makes the lawn especially vulnerable during this time of the year. Aeration solves this problem by facilitating the optimal flow of the resources, especially water, down to the grass’s roots.

Additionally, aerating the soil after applying fertilisers for winter enables you to get more out of your application of the fertilisers as these get deep into the grass’s roots."

Fertilize

Fertilization of the lawn is key year round but also in winter yard maintenance. It restores essential chemical elements and provides the plant (your grass) with the nutrients and "food" it needs.

Lawnpride.com detailed 6 reasons you should fertilize your lawn. They said:

"1. Lawn Fertilizer Works With Important Nutrients in Soil

In order to have a healthy lawn (or any healthy plant life, for that matter) you’ll need high soil quality. Using a fertilizer for your lawn is the best way to do so. Over time, your soil will naturally lose many of the important nutrients it needs to survive. If you really want that lush, green lawn, you’re going to need to replace them. Fertilizer replaces and replenishes the essentials your lawn needs for a great look.

2. Your Lawn Needs Fertilizer as Much as Sunshine and Water

Grass needs the correct amount of water and sunshine to be healthy and green, but don’t forget to feed it, too! Your lawn needs nutrients to thrive and survive.  For soil to be as rich as possible, it needs 3 key elements:

• Phosphorous
• Nitrate
• Potassium

Think of this as the trinity for your lawn. If you don’t have even one of these, your lawn will look shriveled and brown. You feed your body, but your lawn needs food as well.

3. It’s a Green Solution

Pardon the pun, but lawn fertilizer is a fantastic solution when used right. Since it uses natural chemicals and vitamins, it’s a lawn care solution you can feel good about using. Not only are you taking care of your lawn by using fertilizer, you’re taking care of the environment. No need to worry about excess waste since fertilizer just dissipates into the soil. In fact, you can even use your own lawn clippings for a cheap, eco-friendly solution!

4. It’s Easy to Use

One of the best reasons to use fertilizer is that you don’t necessarily need a green thumb to use it. If you’re not interested in using the aid of some great local services, you can always spread the fertilizer yourself. All you have to do is spread it evenly and follow the instructions. It’s simple, sure, but your lawn will look better than ever.

5. Your Plants Will Grow Faster

You already know that fertilizer is an important part of your lawn’s diet. But did you know that it’ll actually help your grass grow faster? You can’t rely solely on your soil for great, healthy plant life. You’ll get better results by using fertilizer.

6. Lawn Fertilizer is Cost Effective

Like most homeowners, you’re probably worried about cost. Well, there’s a bit of good news! Using fertilizer is often quite cost effective. Following fertilization, all you have to worry about is basic maintenance.