Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

This week we’ll talk about lawn care and preparation for the upcoming winter.

If you have a lawn consisting of grass and not Cape Cod landscaping, now is the time to plan and execute fall fertilization.

Starting early to mid-October mow your lawn one final time. Rake up any clippings and apply a weed killer and grass fertilizer. This will help prepare your lawn for winter while it lay dormant and will assist in spring growth.

Most of our soil on the Outer Cape is sandy, so plan on using a fertilizer that has slow release nitrogen. You may want to ask your garden center professional to help you pick out the proper fertilizer for your area.

It is important to follow instructions when applying fertilizer. Never over do and base your application on your lawn’s square footage. It is best to use a rotary spreader for an even application. Once you finish one direction, repeat in the opposite for thorough coverage.

Make sure your grass is dry when applying the fertilizer, then, water lightly, directly afterwards. This helps the fertilizer stay adhered to the blades of grass and mix into the soil.

When fertilizing your lawn in the fall, make sure you use the proper product for grass and a different fertilizer for shrubs, plants and flowers. Using an incorrect product can impact evergreen growth and decrease fruit and flower count in the spring.

With these helpful tips, your lawn should be preserved through the cold winter months and ready for regular yard maintenance once spring arrives.