Winter Lawn Care Tips for Wichita, KS
If you want a lawn lush come springtime, you need some foolproof winter lawn care tips for your Wichita yard. Kansas is known for its harsh winters–the temperatures take a severe nosedive, and the inches of snow can pile up.
Winter lawn care actually starts in the fall, right before the harsh winter weather hits. There is little you can do for your lawn once a blanket of snow covers it for several months. So, winter lawn care begins before this type of weather happens. Here are some tips for you to remember about taking care of your lawn in the winter in Wichita.
Clean Up
All of the leaves from your trees fall to the lawn and can often smother your grass if not cleaned up properly. Leaving them in your yard before winter hits can also lead to snow mold. This means before the snow covers the grass totally, you’ll need to pick up branches, logs, and other debris. As well as, clear the lawn of any objects before your final mowing.
Prepare by Aerating
Aerating your lawn helps the grass to prepare for the upcoming harsh weather. Fall aeration helps to reduce soil compaction, get rid of excessive thatch, and create a top dressing for the lawn.
Core aeration is a process by which plugs of soil are removed from your lawn, allowing nutrients, air, and water to reach your root system. A healthy root system creates a healthy lawn. Throughout the summer, your soil has a higher chance of compacting because of heavy foot traffic. Your kids are playing in the yard, pets are running around, and the lawnmower goes over the top at least once a week. Aerating your lawn will stimulate the grass growth, which strengthens it before the harsh winter months.
Water as Needed
Just because it’s cold outside doesn’t mean that your lawn can survive without water. Throughout most of the winter, a continuing layer of snow provides all the moisture necessary for a healthy lawn. If there happens to be no snow and arid conditions, you will want to consider watering your lawn to maintain that moisture.
Fertilize Before the First Frost
If you have a cool season grass, you will want to fertilize in late fall or early winter. These grass types include Bermuda or bluegrass, which is common on many lawns. Before the first freeze, give your yard a thorough fertilizing to help replenish any of the nutrients that were lost during the hot summer months. It helps to prepare your lawn for the harsh winter.
Applying in the early winter means that, as the temperature turns colder, the fertilizer will remain in the soil and feed your soil throughout the winter. It is suggested to give your lawn three fertilizations throughout the fall season with one right at the beginning of winter, fertilizing either in October and November or November and December.
Apply Weed Killer
Applying weed killer now helps to eliminate the annual and perennial weeds that visit your yard each year. You can also use a spot-treatment for broadleaf weeds as spring starts to get closer. Doing so helps to control all of those annoying spring weeds like dandelions, henbit, and chickweed. Plan to treat your lawn for weeds on a day that is 50 degrees Fahrenheit or warmer.
Maintain Your Lawn Mower
As maintaining your lawn mower isn’t directly a lawn care task, it is something you should spend time on before winter. That is one crucial piece of equipment. Your mower gets a break throughout the winter months, but it is the time to repair any problems and make sure it is in tiptop shape.
Take time in the winter to sharpen your mower blades, anticipating the first cut in the springtime. Clean the blades and make sure everything is in working order. If not, now is the time to order new parts! If your lawn had any diseases recently, a thorough cleaning of your lawn mower is a necessity to prevent reinfection.
A lot of your winter lawn care involves anticipating spring. Spring means regrowth and rebirth. As you sort through your winter tasks and watch your grass go dormant in the cold, winter weather, look ahead to the spring and summer months which bring you a lovely green grass. All of your winter lawn care prep contribute to a lush lawn come springtime in Wichita.
Need help preparing your lawn in the meantime? Visit our Wichita lawn care page to get in touch with a professional! In addition to Wichita, we provide lawn care services in other Kansas cities, including Shawnee.
Featured image source: Zillow Wichita