Spring and summer are just around the corner, and it’s time to think about getting your lawn ready for that fine weather. During the winter, your grass gets less sunlight, and as a result, it clings to the snow instead of growing. But, believe it or not, the only permanent damage to your grass that winter does to your grass is leaving it dead, brown, and matted. With proper lawn maintenance, you can give your grass a chance.
Things to Do with Your Lawn After Winter
The spring season can revitalize a backyard and rejuvenate a lawn. But what to do with your lawn after winter? If your yard is blanketed in snow, you might be staring at a dirt pile on your lawn rather than a beautiful green. Instead of waiting for Spring, you can start preparing your yard and lawn now. Here are the things that you can follow to start your lawn after winter.
Keep the Yard Clear Throughout the Winter
The nice weather may be long gone from November through March, but there are plenty of chores to do around the house. From raking leaves to shoveling snow to cleaning out the gutters, there are a variety of tasks to keep everyone occupied. And if you have a yard, there are a variety of fall chores that need to be done year-round.
Protect the Lawn During the Last Weeks of Winter
Winter may be over, but your lawn might still be suffering from the cold. In fact, lawns can go dormant during cold weather and recover quickly once Spring arrives. But even though Spring is on the horizon, that doesn’t mean your lawn will bounce back on its own. In fact, your lawn will need extra care during this late Spring and transition period in order to flourish.
Groom the Grass at the Beginning of the Season
When it comes to lawn care, one universally unknown thing is that you should be grooming your grass at the beginning of the growing season. This may seem like common sense, but you may be too late if you wait until the grass is tall. The grass will already be well established, and cutting it low will only lead to unwanted weeds, uneven growth, and an unhealthy lawn.
Do some remodeling
After the winter dryness and snow is gone, it is the best time for you to get some renovations done. If you want to put some structures in your backyard like an outhouse or a pool, then this is the best time to do it. You could find plenty of contractors to remodel your backyard by doing a little search online. Using up this lawn space to make something new could add a lot of value to your home as well.
Help the Grass Get Some Fresh Air
If you’re growing grass, you’ve probably noticed by now how much foot traffic it gets. A freshly mowed lawn appears healthy and green, and homeowners love keeping it that way. But, as any good gardener will tell you, the grass needs air too. Too much foot traffic can compact the soil and harm the roots, making it tough for grass to grow. To help the grass get some fresh air, avoid walking on it and create your own natural pathways by raking up leaves and moving fallen branches out of the way. Also, if the winter has damaged patches of grass beyond repair, then you might want to consider replacing them. Dead patches not only obstruct fresh air for the living grass but could also spread rot through your lawn. Instead, it might be wise to talk to a sod supplier similar to Green Valley Turf about getting those dead patches removed and then covered with fresh turf.
Encourage New Growth in the Spring with Over-seeding
It’s not quite Spring, but while we’re awaiting the first signs of the new season, why not give the grass a boost? This time of year, there’s really no better reason to fertilize than to encourage a bit of new growth. If you need a quick refresh, over-seeding your lawn is one of the cheapest and easiest ways to boost grass growth. However, if you need a new lawn altogether, then killing the old one and laying a new turf of Empire Zoysia grass could prove to be more profitable. (Note that empire zoysia, available from Legacy Turf Farms in Ga, is perfect for golf course and lawns with good sun exposure.)
That said, if a quick refresh is all you want, then you need to choose seeds that can grow aggressively irrespective of the weather. You can consider growing centipede grass, as they are known to adapt and grow well in demanding terrain. Though they are not ideal for winter, they can survive with little care. You can coat the seeds which will help in germinating them seeds faster, and the process of spreading will increase gradually. Though they have the slowest growth, due to their aggressive nature and coating method with chemicals, they will withstand obstacles. It can survive in waterlogged soil and springs up faster in the summer. But to get these results you need to use good coated seeds. There are many products in the market. You can read more about it on Lawn and Petal if you think this would be the best for your garden this winter. People prefer these seeds as they are low maintenance, and can stop the growth of weeds. They can handle both heat and shade very well.
Give it Nutrients to Grow in the Spring
Plants need nutrients to grow, whether they’re eating out of dirt or soil or growing in a pot. While some nutrients can be provided by soil alone, others, like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, need to be added to soil in order to provide the plants with what they need to sprout and grow. While some nutrients are water-soluble, others, like nitrogen and phosphorus, are slow-release and are absorbed by the roots.
There’s nothing quite like the look of freshly-cut grass, and a freshly-mown lawn looks even better when the weather is nice, and you’re spending time with your family in the backyard. The cool season is the best time to mow your lawn since the grass is at its healthiest and the tallest. The longer grass allows lawnmowers to collect more grass clippings, decomposing and returning nitrogen to the soil.