It seems to happen every year. At one moment, summer has just arrived and everyone is excited for a number of different adventures now that warm weather has returned. However, before we know it, it seems that this season is fading and cooler temperatures are arriving once again. This means it’s time to pack up your favorite yard games and cover your grill and instead, prepare your lawn for the colder weather that is going to arrive anytime.

As we discussed in our last post, fall is the perfect time to perform lawn maintenance if you want your grass to thrive in the spring. However, what should you do after this? Continue reading below to learn everything you need to know about readying your lawn for winter in the Pacific Northwest.

Clean Up First

If there are large piles of debris, branches, or leaves in your yard, you need to make sure you remove them before the first snow. When you have things on your grass, it is likely that your lawn will be suffocated, creating an environment where damaging disease organisms and mold can thrive. You may want to use a leaf blower in order to get the job done in a timely manner.

Fertilization

Again, we informed you that early autumn is the best time of year to fertilize your lawn. However, if you have already missed the boat, don’t feel like it’s too late. During the cooler months, your lawn will begin to slow its growth at the top, and will start storing nutrients and sugars for winter. When you fertilize during the fall, you are helping your lawn to protect itself for the coming months during which the ground will freeze.

Mowing

If you raised the height of your mower blade during the summer in order to reduce heat stress, you are going to want to lower it to the normal mowing height (about two inches from the ground) in order to give you grass the best hope. When it comes to bagging and getting rid of clipping on your last mow of the season, we would suggest that you simply don’t. Grass clippings can help to provide nutrients that your grass needs in order to do well throughout the winter.

Aeration

If you already aerated your lawn as we suggested in our last post, you don’t need to do it again. However, if you have been putting it off, it may be time to do so. Pretty soon the ground will be too hard to aerate and therefore, you’re going to need to make moves as soon as possible. Creating small holes in your soil will allow for nutrients to get into the soil much more easily so that the roots of your grass can absorb them.

Thatching

Thatch is the yellowish dead grasses in your yard that will block both air and moisture from reaching the roots of the grass. It’s best to attack thatch in the spring in most cases, but if you didn’t tend to it earlier in the year, you may need to do it now to avoid complications later on. Use a power rake to make shallow passes of the thatch in order to remove as much dead grass as possible. This will allow your grass to flourish when spring arrives next year.

Contact Impeccable Landscapes

If you need help making sure your lawn is ready for winter, we would be happy to assist you when you call us at Impeccable Landscapes. Call our talented team today and get the best lawn care team in all of Spokane to come to your home and prep your lawn before the first snow!

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