If you live in the North, your lawn is probably the last thing on your mind when it is covered with snow. In southern states like Louisiana, snow doesn’t happen very often, so it’s important to prep your yard properly for winter to keep it stable and safe during the colder months.
How should I get my lawn ready for winter?
Don’t let your yard get out of control in the winter. If you don’t have a residential landscaping service in Baton Rouge, you can get your yard ready by:
- Rake or mulch the leaves. Make sure to rake or mulch any leaves or other debris that could stop your yard from growing well or even kill it.
- Aerate: When you aerate your lawn, you push more oxygen and nutrients more profound into the soil. You also break up areas of hardened soil to help your lawn grow healthier.
- Mow the Lawn: Mow your lawn every so often to keep it clean and to prevent thatch from building up. You can cut it often to keep the leaves in order, but be careful after it rains for a long time because the ground won’t dry as quickly when it’s cooler.
Should I feed my lawn with fertilizer before winter?
Some sources will say that fertilizing your lawn in the winter is a waste of time, but the truth is that your lawn needs a certain kind of fertilizer. Using a Winterizer fertilizer, which is high in potassium and low in nitrogen, will help your grass grow strong roots. These roots will help the grass protect itself from freezing weather and return to life faster when it warms up. If you choose a fertilizer high in nitrogen (the first number on the bag), you can speed up growth. This can make your lawn more vulnerable to damage from cold weather, so you shouldn’t use fertilizers like “Weed & Feed” until spring. Many winterizer fertilizers also have weed control that works before the weeds start to grow. This keeps your lawn from getting weeds in the winter.
Can I stop watering my grass when it gets cold?
As your lawn goes dormant, there will be less and less need to water it. As the weather gets colder in the winter, you can water your lawn less and then stop until spring comes and the weather starts to get warmer again. Most of the time, you can winterize your irrigation system from mid-December to February.
Baton Rogue Landscape Pros’ lawn care team is happy to be the experts on lawn care for your home in the Baton Rouge area. We’re always here to help you take the best care of your yard and landscaping, whether it’s through advice, education, or service. Give us a call for an estimate or quote to have us take care of your lawn all year long.
