Winterize Your Lawn in Six Simple Steps

SALEM, Ore. – Oct. 15, 2013 – The key to a lush, green, hassle-free lawn is winterizing. Follow six quick tips from Grass Seed USA, a coalition of American grass seed farmers and turf specialists, to set your lawn up for success next spring.

“Growing a great lawn doesn’t take much effort, and winterizing your yard is a great way to jump-start it for spring,” said Grass Seed USA executive director Bryan Ostlund. “Whether you’re laying seed, aerating or mulching, any time you invest now will impact the overall health of your lawn, ensuring minimal maintenance and more time to enjoy your yard.”

Seed where needed. Although counter intuitive, fall and winter are great times to seed new areas or thicken up existing turf. Fall’s temperate climate means that much of the U.S. can seed well into October. As the weather becomes cooler, dormant seeding, which is the practice of putting seed down before the ground freezes, is a great way to encourage early germination and kick-start your lawn for spring, Contact your local university extension office or garden center to determine the best seeding plan for your area.
Aerate your lawn. Aerating your lawn, or removing small plugs of soil in a uniform pattern, will help oxygen and water reach the roots of your grass. It also relieves any potential compaction problems and can increase the success of new seeding. Most landscapers offer aerating services. Aerators can also be rented through local hardware stores.
Lower your mower. Unlike in the summer, it is best to keep your grass shorter in the fall. Doing so allows sunshine to reach the crown of the grass and minimizes the amount of brown leaf left behind.
Don’t leave the leaves. It’s important to mow or remove fallen leaves from your yard to avoid suffocating the grass. Mowing is an easy way to deal with the leaves while creating a natural mulch to feed the soil.
Get a soil test. Testing the pH level of your soil is a simple yet less-known way to measure the health of your lawn. The test can be conducted using a do-it-yourself kit (available at garden centers) or by taking a soil sample to a local university extension office where they will test your soil for a nominal fee. Understanding your soil pH allows you to counteract potential deficiencies and balance the pH to set your lawn up for success.
Winterize your irrigation system. Finally, if you live in an area where the frost level extends below the depth of your irrigation pipes, be sure to shut off the water to the irrigation system and drain all the pipes before the first freeze.

About Grass Seed USA
Grass Seed USA is a national coalition of grass seed farmers and academic turf specialists with a wealth of experience in studying, growing and harvesting grass and grass seed. The coalition seeks to inform and educate residential and commercial customers about the benefits of grass and best practices for responsibly growing and maintaining healthy turf. For more information, visit www.weseedamerica.com.

SALEM, Ore. – Oct. 15, 2013 – The key to a lush, green, hassle-free lawn is winterizing. Follow six quick tips from Grass Seed USA, a coalition of American grass seed farmers and turf specialists, to set your lawn up for success next spring.

Lower your mower. Unlike in the summer, it is best to keep your grass shorter in the fall. Doing so allows sunshine to reach the crown of the grass and minimizes the amount of brown leaf left behind.

Don’t leave the leaves. It’s important to mow or remove fallen leaves from your yard to avoid suffocating the grass. Mowing is an easy way to deal with the leaves while creating a natural mulch to feed the soil.

Winterize your irrigation system. Finally, if you live in an area where the frost level extends below the depth of your irrigation pipes, be sure to shut off the water to the irrigation system and drain all the pipes before the first freeze.

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