With the winter months approaching, it's important to equip your lawn to survive colder weather. To ensure that your lawn remains strong and healthy by the time springtime arrives, it's important to use lawn care equipment and tools that contribute to optimal energy conservation, allowing your yard's grass to easily withstand chilly conditions. Below are lawn winterization tips to keep in mind. 

How to Winterize Your Lawn

Thatch Elimination & Soil Aeration

Leaves, twigs, and other organic debris lingering on your lawn will harbor moisture and contribute to snow mold, a type of grass fungal disease. To preserve the appearance and health of your yard, it's best to habitually rake up leaves and other debris in order to prevent moisture from marring the appearance of your grass. You’ll also need to break up thatch, which are mats of rhizomes, stems, grass blades, and other decaying organic matter. Thatch occurs when there are too few soil microorganisms to break down organic matter as a result of pesticide overuse and poor lawn drainage. 

Since compacted soil prevents water and nutrients from reaching grass roots, it's best to aerate the soil ahead of winter. Additionally, compaction interferes with fertilizer and pesticide effectiveness, often causing them to flow into nearby storm drains and waterways. Investing in specific lawn care equipment, such as a lawn mower with an aerator attachment, can help with lawn aeration.

Fertilizing, Watering, & Mowing 

As you begin to winterize your lawn, it's important that your grass continues to receive 1 inch of water per week, whether from rain or your irrigation system. Watering prior to winter helps the soil stay hydrated for stronger, healthier root systems. Add fertilizer with a walk-behind or motorized spreader from your lawn care equipment rental company six to eight weeks before the first frost. Doing so fortifies the lawn’s energy reserves for winter. You can also overseed bare areas to encourage springtime growth. 

Throughout the fall, continue to mow your lawn until the first frost to prevent overly-long grass blades that can mat and prevent root systems from receiving adequate oxygen and sunlight. You can also adjust your mower height to a half-inch above your warm weather height to remove damaged grass blades while promoting root growth. 

Find the lawn care equipment you need for winter preparations at Stanly Tractor Company. For over 50 years, the family-owned rental equipment company has served the Albemarle area of North Carolina, providing products from top brands such as Cub Cadet® and Kubota®. Call (704) 983-1106 today with questions or browse lawn care equipment online. Get the latest product updates on Facebook.