The first day of fall was only yesterday but now is the time to think about the winter when it comes to the landscape around your home. Here are some tips to winterize your yard. If you execute these tips, it will put you in a good position come spring.
Tip #1 - Cut the lawn
Even though the grass isn't growing much now, it is important to continue cutting the lawn at the 3 inches we recommend. Continue cutting until the very last week of October. If it stays warm (daily high above 10 degrees Celsius), continue to cut the lawn into November until the daily high is below 10 degrees Celsius consistently.
Tip #2 - Fertilize the lawn
The summer drought has had a toll on our grass, and it is crucial we fertilize our lawns. We want to use a fertilizer that has Nitrogen and Potassium. Nitrogen accounts for the green colour of the lawn which amounts for how much sugars the plant has and Potassium accounts for how vigorous the plant is to the environment.
A dark green lawn is going to ensure the lawn has enough food (sugars) to survive the winter and with enough Potassium, the plant becomes hardy enough to sustain the harsh winter temperatures.
Tip #3 - Rake the leaves
An enjoyable past time of fall (who are we kidding), is raking the leaves. Many might believe the only reason we do this is for safety concerns regarding roadways, however, there is another reason.
Leaving a layer of leaves on the lawn will add a wet and cold layer on top of the lawn long after the snow has melted. As mentioned before with the grass height, this is an ideal environment for disease to grow and pests to congregate.
On top of this, if a disease doesn't kill the grass, then the lack of sunlight either in the fall or early spring will kill the grass.
Tip #4 - Cut Perennials back
If you have perennials in your gardens such as hostas, you'll want to cut back the foliage at the end of the growing season.
Be careful in this step, not all perennials are cut back in the fall as some are recommended to be cut back in the Spring. An example of this is grasses. Leaving them will add winter interest to your gardens.
Conclusion
Now that you're loaded with these tips to winterize your yard, you can go out this fall and tackle the yard with some clear goals. Come Spring you will notice the difference.
If you want to take back your time this fall, contact us to maintain your yard for you! In addition to Kitchener, we also serve Landscape Waterloo, Landscape Guelph, and Landscape Cambridge.