10 Things You Need to Know About Winter Lawn Care in US Cities – Especially the Snowy Ones!

Posted on: Feb 05, 2019Jordyn Rowntree

Some US cities suffers through windy, icy, snowy, cold Winters.

It’s important that every snowy Winter resident understands how to properly prepare their grass for Spring. Here are 10 tips for Winter lawn care in US cities, for those who need to battle the snow.

1. Remove Debris

Get rid of any and all debris that accumulates on your lawn during the previous months that can result in soil degradation. It doesn’t matter if debris is organic or synthetic, you’ll want it removed from your yard to stop uneven terrain, soil compaction, bare spots and nutrient depletion.

2. Rake Leaves

All the leaves have fallen from the trees and Autumn is over. Now, it’s time to rake those leaves to stop them from becoming thatch. Thatch can block air, water, and nutrients from getting to grassroots and cause bare spots on your lawn in Spring.

3. Remove Moss

The leaves are gone and now you can finally find that moss that has grown rapidly in the shadiest parts of your yard. Get rid of the moss by raking it away to control its spread as an important component of winter lawn care preparation.

4. Remove Weeds

Once all of the debris, leaves, and moss are gone, it’s time to remove weeds. Ensure you pull those weeds from root to stem so they don’t come back in the Spring. Weeds are tough cookies and you want to control their spread this before Winter so you don’t have to focus on them in the Spring.

5. Aerate Your Lawn

Your lawn is officially free of everything obstructing its nourishment and growth. That means it’s time to aerate. With the help of an aerating tool, perforate your grass with small holes to allow air, water, and nutrients to make their way to the roots.

6. Apply a Top Seed

You can stop uneven terrain, bare spots, and soil compaction by applying a thin layer of seed, which you have sufficiently screened for weeds, to the top of your grass. Top seed allows your grass to grow in evenly and impacts the overall soil quality without damaging the turf below.

7. Don’t Overseed

When applying top seed, you’ll want to ensure you don’t overseed your lawn, which would defeat the entire point. Apply the top layer of seeds evenly, making sure that soil does not become choked and compacted. This is important, as nutrients needs to reach the grassroots and cannot if the soil is compacted.

8. Don’t Scarify

If you didn’t scarify in the Autumn, it’s best to wait until the Spring. Scarifying, also known as detaching, gets rid of thatch, moss and other debris on your lawn. However, scarifying also cuts into the soil loosening up its participles as well. In the Winter, this results in thin grass and exposed soil, which are both vulnerable to the elements.

9. Put Equipment Inside

Don’t forget to store your lawn equipment properly for the Winter! We recommend in a shed, garage or somewhere else that is warm and dry. By safely stowing your equipment away, you won’t run into the issue of having to pay for repairs or new products altogether come Spring.

10. Reduce Traffic

After everything is said and done, you should also focus on keeping lawn traffic to a minimum during the Winter. In doing so, you’ll stop your grass from being obstructed and allow air, water, and nutrients to the grassroots. Also, be mindful of gravel, which is often used to prevent roads from being slippery in Winter. This debris can build up on your driveway and cause problems for grass growing, so keep an eye out.