Winter Lawn Care Tips
Now that winter has hit Kent and Queen Anne’s counties with a harsh blow, chances are most of us just want to snuggle up in our warm clothes in front of a fireplace with a steaming cup of cocoa, coffee or even tea and perhaps binge watch our favorite shows. After all, it’s winter, nothing is growing outside, so why worry about the lawn until spring, right?
However, even during the winter, your lawn needs some maintenance and care if you want to have a beautiful landscape come spring and summer. Below are a few tips to keep in mind during this cold and what appears to be dormant time of year.
1. It's Never Too Late To Rake
So many times we think of raking as the chore only to be done during the late summer or fall weather. However, if you weren’t able to find the time to rake during those warm months, it can be done during the winter months as well.
If you have piles of leaves throughout your yard, they can prevent your lawn from receiving the nitrogen and other nutrients your landscape needs. Without those nutrients your grass will become weak, and if heavy patches of wet leaves sit on the lawn for too long, fungus can begin to grow destroying the roots and leaving bald patches in your lawn come summer.
If you’re still not fond of the idea of grabbing a rake in the winter, here is a little extra incentive to think about. Raking burns anywhere between 350-450 calories per hour. So if you’ve set a New Year’s resolution to have a “beach body” by spring, raking will not only help burn off some extra calories it will also build and strengthen your upper body and core muscles.
Winter in Kent and Queen Anne’s Counties can bring both easy cool days or cold days with blustering high winds, heavy snow, and even ice. With those bitter cold days comes the inevitable issue of fallen branches and other debris. Sometimes it can seem so much easier to wait until spring to start clearing away all those heavy branches that came down with the snow and wind, but that’s not the wisest choice of action.
Heavy branches scattered around your lawn can cause damage especially if left to sit for too long. They can cause the soil to be compacted and hardened and prevent vital nutrients from reaching the grass under them. They also become home to molds and other diseases that can spread through the lawn wreaking further havoc on your landscape.
Getting outside on a sunny, warmer day after the initial storm, and picking up those branches and sticks, is a great way to keep your lawn in healthy, oh and also is a great work out for those biceps!
However, if those branches and other debris are a bit too much or you are on vacation in some sunny, warm location, just give us a call. We’ll head straight over and gather up that debris for you.
3. Lay Down Sod Or Plant Seed
Have you ever found yourself walking outside, perhaps with your furry friend, and nearly slipped on the ground that has turned muddy from the melting snow? Those existing patches of ground can be easily remedied by laying down some sod during a day when the ground is above freezing. Sod already has a strong set of roots and won’t take long to attach to the patches of ground in need of some help.
Not sure how to go about laying down sod? Give us a call, we can help get those sections back to being healthy and beautiful as well as safe for you during the rainy or snowy weather.
4. Fertilize In The Winter
We realize that may seem a little strange but think of it this way, just as your body needs vitamins and minerals year round, so does your lawn. With all the advancements in horticulture there are products designed to slowly release just the right amount of nutrients to keep your lawn strong throughout the winter months. It’s like taking vitamin D supplements during the winter because we don’t have those long summer days to soak in the sun’s natural vitamins.
Winter is also a great time to spread some lime to tame down any high acidic soil that is in your yard. If you’re not sure whether you need to add lime, check the pH of your soil with a simple test kit, then apply as needed.
5. Weeding In The Winter
Weeding? You read that correctly. Weeds will sprout after just a few days of mild weather. During those intermittent warm days, grab your gloves and attack those newly sprouted nuisances before they get a foothold around your favorite bushes and deck area. It’s also a great time to kill off any new poison ivy, oak, or sumac that may be lurking around your landscape.
If pulling weeds in the winter or attacking poisonous vines is not something you want to do, just give us a call. We can tackle them for you, through either the old fashioned way of pulling them out or spraying those ivy, oak, and sumac vines with an environmentally safe weed killer.
6. Watch Where You Walk
During the winter it can become easy to choose a certain area to walk, especially if you need to take you pets outside several times a day and your hands are just barely able to grip the leash!
However, changing up your routine and choosing a different area throughout the winter will prevent the grass from becoming broken and worn thin and the earth from becoming so hardened that rain can’t easily reach the roots of your lawn.
7. Use The Correct Form Of Salt
When snow and ice begin to make walking a challenge the safest thing to do is shovel and then spread some salt. However, certain types of salt can cause damage to your lawn. When purchasing salt or other products that will improve you safety when walking on snow or ice, try to find products that are lawn and pet friendly such as calcium chloride.
If the salt from the road clearing makes its way to your lawn take the time to water your grass in those areas as soon as the temperatures have warmed up enough. Giving it a thorough soaking can help minimize the damage caused by the caustic ingredients used to treat our roads during inclement weather.
Small Steps In Winter Can Reap Great Rewards
Spring can be a time of celebration, a time to enjoy watching your tulip bulbs peaking through the dirt and prepping your garden for annuals. Although, there are times it may seem as though spring will never come again, warm weather will soon arrive. We hope that if you are able to follow some of the tips mentioned above now, you’ll be able to relax and enjoy a healthy lawn in just a few short months.
However, if you find some of these tips just a bit overwhelming, or are enjoying warmer weather in a different place at this time, but still want to have a beautiful lawn come spring, we offer estate and vacation property management services. Just give us a call today. We can help you give your lawn the best possible care during these long hard months so that when spring arrives you’ll be able to enjoy the rewards of a well cared for lawn.