3 Essential Tips To Protect Your Lawn This Winter
As a homeowner, what you do to keep your home looking its best says a lot about you. There is a lot that goes into maintaining a beautiful home, and your landscaping is a very important part of that equation. However, just because the weather outside is getting colder and the days are getting shorter doesn’t mean that it is safe for you to forget about your lawn until spring comes back around. In fact, many of the things that set your lawn up for success in the spring get their start during the winter. Between freezing temperatures, ice, and snow, the elements are going to be giving out some serious punishment during the winter months, and without the proper protection when that happens, you could find yourself with a lawn that is much worse for wear when spring comes back around. To help make sure that your lawn has the care it needs to thrive in the spring, our team of landscape maintenance professionals have taken the time to put together this short list. This list details just a few helpful tips that will help you to better protect your lawn this winter.
Mow Low Before The Snow
One of the more important things you can do to ensure your lawn stays healthy this winter is to make sure that you have your grass cut as short as possible to help protect any new growth that might have come up through the soil before your lawn went dormant. Additionally, tall grass has a tendency to attract rodents during the cold winter months, and their burrowing to create nests could severely damage the surface of your lawn and its root structure by the time spring comes back around. Cutting your lawn low during the winter is also important because it will allow your lawn to better absorb the limited sunlight that it will be getting as the days get shorter and shorter.
Avoid Heavy Traffic Over Your Lawn
It is easy for people to forget sometimes that just because your lawn is shorter and the grass might have browned that it is alright for them to walk on. The truth is that while your grass is somewhat resilient, it is at its most vulnerable right now while it is dormant, and it can have a very difficult time recovering in the spring if it is being constantly walked on during the winter months. Heavy traffic over your lawn can also compact the soil, making it harder for your lawn’s roots to spread and get the nutrients its needs to start growing strong again in the spring.
Avoid Ice Melters If Possible
While ice melting products might be extremely convenient in helping you thaw things out around your property, you also run the risk of doing serious damage to your lawn when using them, unfortunately. If you do decide to use ice melters around your lawn, you need to make sure you are doing so carefully and reading the label to ensure they are being used properly to minimize any risk to your grass.
