Winter lawn care tips

frost on grass

Check out these winter lawn care tips and get your lawn and landscape prepared for the cold weather ahead!  Lawn care in the winter is probably not high on your to-do list right now, but there are some things you should do to maintain and protect your Macon / Warner Robins lawn and garden from whatever the rest of this winter brings.

Lawn: Neglecting your turf in the winter can come back to haunt you during the growing season. Even with our southern turf like Bermuda, Centipede and Zoysia, there are some winter lawn care items you can take to help protect your grass even in dormancy.

• Keep it Clear: Perform a weekly cleanup of your lawn to remove any debris that may have collected. Keeping your lawn free of leaves and other items is critical to maintaining your turf’s health and appearance. Letting leaves and debris pile up creates a breeding ground for lawn fungus in the spring.
• Reduce Traffic: Be sure you have dedicated walkways and encourage family and visitors to use these instead of walking on the lawn. Excessive foot traffic during dormancy, especially when it’s as wet, can really damage your lawn.
• Mow and Water: Mow a few times a month and if needed, supplement any rainfall with irrigation so your grass gets an inch of water per week.
• Maintain Equipment: If your warm season grass is dormant, now is a great time to perform routine maintenance on your equipment and lawn mower like cleaning under the deck, changing the oil, sharpening blades and replacing any necessary parts on your tools. 

Landscape: Winter lawn care is important, but so is winterizing your landscape. Don’t forget about your ornamental trees and shrubs. They too can benefit from some winter protection.

• Water: Watering your plants before freezing temperatures hit can help to insulate them. Moist soil is a better at absorbing heat than dry soil.
• Mulch: Mulch or pine straw is another great way to keep your plants insulated. Adding a fresh layer of mulch helps retain moisture and stabilize soil temperatures, protecting your plants from the cold winter weather.
• Cover: When Macon / Warner Robins is expecting a frost, cover plants that are less hardy, and more susceptible to freeze damage like azaleas, hollies and citrus trees. Retailers sell plant protection bags but you can also use blankets and burlap. If you have vegetables or seedlings, cover them with a loose layer of wheat or pine straw for ample protection.

This winter season, don’t let the weather blindside your yard that you work tirelessly on to preserve in the spring and summer. Be proactive with your winter Macon / Warner Robins lawn care so you can feel confident your yard will be prepared when those freezing days hit. Performing these tasks now will help ensure a healthy, beautiful lawn in the spring.  Contact us to winterize your lawn!  If your landscape needs helps, contact our sister company.