A harsh winter can be hard on your lawn, with damaging temperature fluctuations, frost and heavy snow. While there’s a chance that come spring, your lawn will bounce right back, there’s also a chance you’ll have to re-sod your entire yard.
At One Stop Rental in Liberty/Fairfield Township and West Chester, OH, we have the tools and equipment you need to winterize your lawn. Follow these tips to ensure your landscaping is ready to face the cold.
Pass on Pruning
Although regular pruning can greatly benefit the health of your lawn in the spring and summer months, you should forgo this practice in the weeks leading up to winter. When you prune your plants, you cultivate new growth. This new growth will not be able to stand up to the winter weather, so your efforts will be in vain. It also makes it more difficult for your plants to thrive in spring.
Remove Annuals and Prepare Perennials
Preparing your annual and perennial beds for winter will make gardening much easier in the spring. For annuals, compost the old plant matter. Leaving it will only invite rot and diseases in the spring. Next, you’ll want to till the soil. While you won’t be planting new annuals just yet, tilling the soil now will save you time in the spring.
For perennials, wait until the first frost to begin your work. After the first frost, cut back any dead or diseased stems and remove old mulch. Re-mulch the area with a six-inch layer of fresh mulch to help insulate the roots from extreme temperatures.
Rake the Leaves
If you can only do one thing to winterize your garden, do this. Leaving too many leaves on the ground when winter comes will results in dirt patches covering your lawn once spring arrives. This is because the leaves will compact and keep all sunlight and moisture from reaching the grass below. We recommend raking the leaves, shredding them and then spreading a light layer of the shredded leaves over your lawn. This will form a top dressing for your lawn that will supply nutrients to the soil as they decompose.
Aerate Your Lawn
The benefits of aerating your yard in the fall cannot be stressed enough. Aeration helps break up excessive thatch, which allows sunlight and water to reach roots deep below the surface. Take advantage of your newly aerated lawn by fertilizing the area as well. This will help your yard’s roots store enough nutrients to last through the winter.
Taking the time to winterize your lawn will make your spring gardening a breeze. With One Stop Rental, you can pick up all the tools and equipment you’ll need to get the job done. Stop by either of our locations in the greater Cincinnati area and don’t forget to find us on social! We’re happy to answer any of your lawn and garden questions.