Getting your lawn in tip top condition is no easy feat. Having your lawn soft, green, and lush is definitely something you have to work hard at and be committed to the cause. If you want the turf to be perfect year after year it means taking care of it according to the seasons. Like so many different aspects in being a homeowner, there are many things you should do to offer it more protection and care for the off season, and that includes your lawn. We at Mickey’s LawnScapes would like to share some tips and advice on getting your lawn ready for winter this fall.
What Tools Do You Need to Maintain a Yard?
For more efficiency before tackling your project ahead, gather the following items:
– Broom
– Garden Fork Aerator
– Horticulture Grade Sand
– Rake
– Shovel
– Top Dressing
What Does Fall Yard Maintenance Include?
1) Remove any and all debris. Thatch, or a layer of dead grass on the surface of your lawn, can build on the surface soil, which impedes drainage, encourages moss, harbors fungal diseases, and prevents the strong growth of grass. Rake the lawn firmly to remove any embedded debris or moss as well as the leaves, sticks, and any other debris; be sure to properly dispose of the waste.
2) Increase the aeration and drainage. Spike holes into the lawn all over the surface to aerate it and improve drainage with the garden fork or aerator. Improving the drainage will maintain healthy lawn and soil all year long, being beneficial for seasonal lawn.
3) Fill in the any holes. Exclusively utilize horticultural grade sand to brush dry fine sand into the holes to prevent them from closing up, which allows air and water to pass freely into the root zone.
4) Apply the top-dressing. Use a brush or the back of a rake to work the top-dressing into the grass evenly and spread dry top-dressing over the surface to help improve drainage and to level out hollows.
5) Administer fall fertilizer. Spread your fertilizer out even. Ensure the fertilizer selected is optimal for your lawn as well as designed to deter the weeds common in your area.
Lawn Care Terminology
Below is a list of terms that apply for fall and winter lawn care:
Anti-Desiccant: Designed to help trees maintain moisture in colder conditions; anti-desiccants is a type of foliage spray.
Lawn Aeration: The process of removing plugs of soil in an effort to eliminate the compaction of the soil that allows for access to nutrients, oxygen and water.
Lawn Fertilization: A primary strategy for preventing snow mold, which is an application that promotes plant and turf growth with efficient and routine use.
Micro-nutrients: Administered to plants in small amounts, micro-nutrients are essential nutrients that encourage proper growth.
Power Seeding: By incorporating turning up the soil to achieve the correct seed-to-soil contact, power seeding is technique used to apply seed to a yard.
Pre-emergent weed control: To stop future weed growth, pre-emergent weed control is a preventative treatment.
Reseeding: Reseeding is the application of grass seed to the sparse areas of your lawn to make it thicker and denser.
Snow mold: A fungus type disease that develops in wet, cold weather. Root rot under winter snows can manifest if left untreated.
Soil enrichment: By the adding of organic supplements and microbes soil enrichment enhances the quality and health of your soil.
Yard Fertilizer: A compound that contributes to facilitate growth by major and micro- nutrients.
Landscaping, Lawn Maintenance & More in Amagansett, Aquebogue, Baiting Hollow, Calverton, Cutchogue, East Hampton, East Hampton North, Greenport, Jamesport, Laurel, Mattituck, Montauk, Nassau Point, Northville, Northwest Harbor, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Southold, Springs, Wading River, Westhampton Beach in East End New York
If you need help getting your lawn prepared for winter, call the experts of Mickey’s LawnScapes and let us get your lawn ready.
