What should I feed my lawn in Autumn?
- Winter protection. We often forget that our lawns need fed in winter too. Although we may not see the results as...
- Late seeding. If you’re planning some autumn seeding it’s a good idea to feed your lawn in advance to ensure a...
- Killing weeds and moss. Weed and moss growth slows down in winter so now is the perfect time to get rid...
Should I Feed my lawn in the winter?
Don’t do it when it’s frosty. It’s always a good idea to apply a winter lawn feed. Or a dose or two of Iron Sulphate. It gives the grass a nice boost of green when the rest of the garden is lacking in colour and vibrancy. It hardens the turf against the cold. The high iron content keeps any moss at bay and prevents it from spreading.
What is the best fertilizer for lawns in winter?
Fertilizing Your Lawn During Winter Healthy lawns need three major nutrients: Nitrogen (N), for dense green top growth, phosphorus (P) for root growth, and potassium (K) for general health. Lawns also need micronutrients (iron, zinc, and others) and fertilizers can help supply these nutrients.
How do I prepare my lawn for winter?
Preparing your lawn for winter will keep it healthy so it’s ready for spring. The tasks to focus on depend on where you live and what kind of grass you grow. Whether cool-season or warm-season grass, knowing the climate and conditions will help make sure you’re taking the best care of your lawn.
What happens to your lawn in the winter?
In most parts of the country, lawn grass goes dormant in the winter. In the south, cool-season ryegrass is often overseeded into the turf to maintain a green lawn. In the north, it's too cold for any grass to grow, so we wait patiently for spring, sometimes under snow cover, sometimes not. However, lawn care doesn't quite end in the winter.
What is the best winter fertilizer for lawns?
The best grass fertilizer for winter is high in nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) and is applied in autumn. The ratio should be 2:1 for nitrogen (N) and potassium (K) such as 6-0-3 or 8-2-4. Do only fertilize cool-season grass such as Fescue, Blue, and ryegrasses that grow best in spring and fall.
What should you put on your lawn in the winter?
Caring for the Lawn in WinterFertilize. Apply fertilizer with a spreader. ... Aerate the Lawn. Provide some extra air for grassroots by aerating your lawn. ... Spread Cool-Weather Grass Seed. ... Clean it up. ... Lower the height of your mower. ... Be aware of traffic. ... Monitor weather conditions.
When should I fertilize my lawn for winter?
You should apply winterizer when the grass stops growing in the fall, but also while it is still active in the root system. You can tell that your grass is still active by the strong green color.
Should I do anything to my lawn in the winter?
While most lawn care takes place between spring and fall, winter is still a good time to accomplish tasks such as aerating, amending, mowing, raking, seeding and sodding, watering, and weeding.
What should I do with my lawn in February?
General TasksTreat moss on established lawns.Prepare bald patches for sowing.Mow if weather permits.Disperse worm casts.
What should I do to my lawn in January?
Winter Lawn Care TipsAerate & Fertilize. Just before your area's first expected frost date, head out to your lawn and aerate. ... Avoid Too Much Lawn Traffic. When your lawn is frosted or dormant, try to avoid walking on it too much. ... Treat Ice Wisely. ... Prepare While You Can.
Can I put fertilizer down in January?
Don't fertilize too early! During the winter months, grass is likely dormant if you haven't been irrigating. When you fertilize too early in spring—meaning it's still winter— you're providing nutrients before the grass has broken dormancy.
How late can you put down winter fertilizer?
In general, try your best to apply it between September 1 and October 15. The farther north you live, the earlier you should apply it. The goal is to have at least one month of active grass growing weather remaining before winter takes its grip.
What fertilizer should I use in February?
Early Spring (Late February through March): Apply a low nitrogen weed and feed fertilizer during these months to prevent the germination of weed seeds. We recommend 0-0-7 with .
How can I thicken my lawn in the winter?
Improve Your Soil. To get the most out of every step to a thicker lawn, take a tip from lawn pros and test your soil. ... Overseed. Overseeding is simply sowing grass seed into existing grass to make thin lawns thick—or keep them from getting thin. ... Fertilize. ... Boost Your Lawn. ... Irrigate. ... Mow Properly. ... Control Weeds.
What is winter fertilizer?
A winter fertilizer, also known as a winterizer, is a lawn care treatment applied to grass in the late fall to encourage food storage in the winter and proper root system growth in the springtime.
How do I keep my grass green in winter?
Fertilize during winter season to keep grass green. Fertilize two or three times during the winter season to give the winter grass strength. Using a greater amount of nitrogen will help top growth and keep the lawn looking green throughout the winter, even as summer grass goes dormant.
How do I keep my grass from dying in the winter?
5 Tips to Prevent Your Lawn From Dying During Winter#1) Mow One Last Time Before Cold Snap. You typically don't need to mow your lawn during winter. ... #2) Water It. Winter is often dry with little or no rain. ... #3) Don't Disturb It. ... #4) Fertilize It. ... #5) Keep It Clean.
How do I keep my grass green in winter?
Fertilize during winter season to keep grass green. Fertilize two or three times during the winter season to give the winter grass strength. Using a greater amount of nitrogen will help top growth and keep the lawn looking green throughout the winter, even as summer grass goes dormant.
What nutrients do you need for a lawn in winter?
Fertilizing Your Lawn During Winter. Healthy lawns need three major nutrients: Nitrogen (N), for dense green top growth, phosphorus (P) for root growth, and potassium (K) for general health. Lawns also need micronutrients (iron, zinc, and others) and fertilizers can help supply these nutrients. When buying lawn fertilizer, you will see three ...
Why is it important to aerate your lawn in the fall?
Aerating will help your lawn increase root growth, allow it to breathe and minimize thatch build up. Minimizing build up is important because thatch makes your lawn susceptible to diseases and insects and reduces its tolerance to drought. Aerating your lawn will help contribute to a fuller and thicker lawn in the spring, giving you more time to enjoy a greener lawn throughout the summer.
Why do you need to aerate your lawn?
Aerating your lawn will help contribute to a fuller and thicker lawn in the spring, giving you more time to enjoy a greener lawn throughout the summer. Core aerators remove small plugs of soil allowing air, water, and nutrients to penetrate through to the roots. When these are more available to grass plants, your lawn will naturally be greener ...
Is it good to prepare your lawn for winter?
Preparing your lawn for winter will keep it healthy so it’s ready for spring. The tasks to focus on depend on where you live and what kind of grass you grow. Whether cool-season or warm-season grass, knowing the climate and conditions will help make sure you’re taking the best care of your lawn.
Is it normal to cut grass shorter in winter?
This will also stop them from forming a mat that smothers grass plants. As you’re getting ready for winter, cutting the grass shorter than usual is normal. However, reducing the height of your mower should not be something reserved for the last mowing.
Can you fertilize a lawn when it's frozen?
Never fertilize when the soil is frozen as it serves no purpose, and most of the fertilizer will wash away. Whenever you use fertilizer, follow the directions on the label. More is not better. After you spread fertilizer, water your lawn lightly to wash the fertilizer off the blades of grass and down onto the soil.
When do you do lawn care?
The jobs you do and when you do them will depend on several things; like the weather and also how your lawn care discipline was during the spring, summer and autumn.
When is the best time to start lawn care?
December generally marks the start for the winter lawn care season.
How to get rid of worm casts?
That said, the only real way of dealing with worm casts effectively is to wait until they’re dry and brush them back into the surface with a yard brush.
Why spike a lawn?
That said, if you have a north-facing lawn that doesn’t get much sun during the day, or if your soil is heavy clay, it’s a good idea to spike it to improve drainage and give any surface moisture somewhere to go.
What causes worms to cast on lawn?
As I said, leaves and other organic debris can lead to an increase in worm activity and you’ll see their slimy casts left on the surface of your lawn.
What keeps moss from spreading?
The high iron content keeps any moss at bay and prevents it from spreading.
Can you spike your lawn too much?
You really can’t spike your lawn too much.
When to use Jonathan Green winter fertilizer?
Get your lawn ready for the winter with Jonathan Green’s Winter Survival Fall Lawn Fertilizer. Spread it anytime from early September through mid-November when air temperatures are cooler and the soil is still warm enough for grass roots to grow deep.
What is winter survival?
Winter Survival will give your lawn the nutrients it needs to get ready for winter, maintain its deep-green color, and help it to handle the stress of cold desiccating winter winds while fending off early spring turf diseases, such as snow mold.
Why do grass seeds fall into the ground?
Even in the winter, there are warmer days when the surface of the soil warms up and then refreezes. This causes small cracks and fissures in the ground that grass seeds fall into and get covered, so good seed to soil contact is achieved.
When do grass seeds start to sprout?
The seeds will start to sprout as soon as the ground warms to a consistent 55° F, and the soil will have all the nutrients it needs to support seed growth.
Do you fertilize your lawn in the winter?
Although you won’t need to fertilize your lawn in the winter when it’s not actively growing , there are things you can do to care for the lawn in all seasons. Jonathan Green’s New American Lawn Care Plan is an easy way to know when and what to feed your lawn and how to do it.
Can you replant grass seed in the spring?
If it warms enough to melt the snow, it may also warm up enough for the seeds to sprout, and those newly sprouted seeds will not be strong enough to survive the cold desiccating winter winds and freezing temperatures. If this occurs, rake out the dead seedlings before replanting grass seed again in the spring.
What is winter fertilizer?
NPK 3.12.12. A low nitrogen fertiliser with high phosphate and potassium to strengthen the roots and stiffen the leaf blades in order to protect the grass plant before the Winter.
What is the effect of winter fertilisers on lawns?
With winter fertilisers phosphate and potassium are at increased levels as these elements will encourage the growth of roots and strengthen the lawn under the soil. During winter we do not want to encourage rapid grass growth hence the lack of nitrogen.
Why is it important to water grass after fertilising?
Watering is vital to fertilising. After fertilising it is really important to water off the fertiliser from the grass blades if there is no rainfall. If left dry the fertiliser will burn and damage the existing grass.
What are the numbers on a lawn fertilizer label?
On the label of any autumn/winter fertiliser there will be 3 numbers, the N,P,K numbers. These numbers explain the units of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium within the lawn feed - a bit like a balanced smoothie for your grass! With winter fertilisers phosphate and potassium are at increased levels as these elements will encourage the growth of roots and strengthen the lawn under the soil. During winter we do not want to encourage rapid grass growth hence the lack of nitrogen.
When does fertilising season end in Canterbury?
As a general rule of thumb fertilising season is sometime between the beginning of the wetter weather in September and before the frost comes during November.
Aerating your lawn for winter
There are several reasons why people believe it’s not a good idea to aerate the soil in winter. One is that grass stops growing in cold weather. Although this is true, it is no reason to stop aerating your lawn during winter! When you aerate the grass, the holes that are left behind slowly fill with mulch and organic matter.
Fertilizing before winter
When you think about winter, most people think of cold weather, snow and not being able to go outside. While this is certainly true for some parts of the world, others experience warm temperatures during the colder months as well as a decreased amount of rainfall. In these cases fertilizing your lawn in winter can be done without much effort.
Stop mowing your lawn in winter
There are many reasons not to mow your lawn in winter. For one thing, there will likely be little if any grass growth between now and next spring, so you’ll be cutting off what little grass there is. Grass that doesn’t grow will especially hard to cut, since the lawn mower blades need something to hold onto in order to cut.
Lawn Seeding in Winter
If you live in a climate where it snows for most of the winter season, then seeding is a good choice for you. Seeding in winter is the best time because the cool soil gives the new grass roots a good start before summer’s heat and water restrictions arrive.
Watering your lawn during winter
Water the grass only once a day . Just like your regular watering schedule, you should also avoid overwatering the lawn. Don’t forget that during winter, water freezes faster than in other seasons. It’s best to water as frequently as possible (once every 1-2 days) but lessen the amount of water each session.
Weeding during winter
If you want to get rid of weeds and other pests, then this is the time to buy an insect killer spray. These sprays are typically a compound containing a potent remedy for a wide variety of insects.
How to get more air in grass?
Provide some extra air for grassroots by aerating your lawn. Use a spade to take out spikes of soil across your lawn to make holes for planting seeds. If your lawn is large, you might want to rent a motorized aerator or a manual one.
Can you leave leaves on your lawn?
It is extremely important not to leave debris, leaves, or toys out on the lawn. These things can smother the grass, create disease conditions, and invite insects, mice, and other damaging pests.
Can dormant grass be green?
Be aware of traffic. Under snow cover or exposed to the elements, dormant grass will tolerate a moderate amount of traffic, but a heavily worn path will be slower to green up in the spring and cause compaction. Monitor weather conditions. Turf is very resilient and can tolerate an extreme winter, but certain conditions can be harmful in ...
Can you put your lawn to bed in winter?
The best thing to do is make sure the grass has hardened off, once you've " put the lawn to bed" properly, you can focus on keeping your sidewalks clear and building snowmen.
Can turf be damaged by a winter storm?
Turf is very resilient and can tolerate an extreme winter, but certain conditions can be harmful in the long term. It might be worthwhile to chip away a bit of little-exposed ice in a low spot if you know a winter storm or deep freeze is approaching.
Is ryegrass good for lawns in the winter?
However, lawn care doesn't quite end in the winter. Try these tricks to keep your yard healthy.
Why does aerating the soil kill grass?
This can cause the cells to freeze and kill grass plants. Aerating the soil decreases compaction and increases infiltration of water into the soil.
How does removing extra plant tissue help the grass?
Removing the extra plant tissue also decreases the barrier from soil to air, increasing air movement. That keeps the grass free of excess moisture.
Is winter lawn care different in the South or West?
The winter lawn care situation looks different if you live in the South or West, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook.
Do grasses need fertilizer in winter?
In winter, warm season grasses don’t need fertilizer. This makes it a perfect time to use a soil tester to check nutrient levels and make a plan for next season.
Does snow hurt your lawn?
At first glance you might assume snow hurts your lawn. Actually, it’s beneficial in multiple ways.
Can you mulch a lawn with a leaf mulcher?
Hate raking? No problem! Just get out your leaf mulcher or mower and mulch the leaves into the lawn. “It provides much-needed nutrition in the form of organic material,” Lucas says. “Just don’t overdo it by waiting too long — a thick blanket of leaves can smother the lawn.”
How to get nutrients to your lawn in summer?
It’ll give your lawn the nutrients it needs to get through the summer. If the weather is hot and dry, wait for rain and apply after a good downpour. Alternatively, give your lawn a good soak prior to applying. If your lawn lack colour and vibrancy during the summer, give it a dose of Miracle-Gro liquid lawn feed .
How to protect turf from winter?
Harden the turf and protect it against the stresses of winter
Why is my lawn soggy?
The result is a very excessive build-up of lawn thatch which creates a barrier that prevents, water air and nutrients from getting into the soil. Your lawn will become spongs and soggy, especially when it’s wet as water just sits on the surface. But this heavy thatch layer creates another problem.
What is the best fertilizer for a lawn?
Choose a spring fertiliser like Scotts Spring/Summer Lawn Builder Lawn Food . This is purely a fertiliser.
What happens if your lawn is yellow?
You might even see parts of the lawn turning yellow or brown and in the worst cases, the grass could die off altogether. This creates room for weeds and moss to invade.
Why do people not care for lawns?
The most common reason is that many people who own lawns, either aren’t interested in spending the time to care for them or don’t have the time to dedicate to it.
When to apply Scotts Autumn/Winter?
Winter. Apply another dose of Scotts Autumn/Winter Lawn Food during December or January. To protect your lawn through the winter months, you might also give your lawn a dose or tow of Iron Sulphate. This will; Harden the turf and protect it against the stresses of winter. Give your grass a nice green boost.
How to keep rodents out of lawn in winter?
Just before the first frost, aerate your lawn to relieve compaction. Then apply a lawn fertilizer.
How to keep people from walking across the grass?
For the same reason, discourage people from walking across the grass. Keep pathways and sidewalks clear of snow and ice to keep people from taking shortcuts across your lawn. Never park a vehicle on the lawn in winter, as it can do serious damage. Salt can undo a lot of the good of winter lawn care. Don’t shovel or plow snow that is full of salt ...
Can you use salt on grass?
Salt can undo a lot of the good of winter lawn care. Don’t shovel or plow snow that is full of salt onto your grass, and try to use minimal salt near it. If you must use salt, opt for calcium chloride-based mixtures, which are less harmful than sodium chloride-based ones.
Can you abandon your lawn in winter?
Image by Hanna_Alandi. With no more mowing or weeding, winter is a nice period of rest from lawn maintenance. That doesn’t mean you can completely abandon your lawn, however. Winter maintenance for grass involves just a few simple steps that should have your lawn looking lush again in the spring.
