Although the first official day of winter is December 21st, many parts of Ontario have already begun to experience massive snowfalls. To help your grass survive the harsh and cold weather conditions, it’s important to properly winterize it beforehand. Ideally, your winter lawn maintenance and preparation should have started sometime between early October and the first few weeks of November, but it’s not too late to get started. Here are four important winter lawn care questions you should ask a lawn care and maintenance professional to help your lawn stay healthy all winter long.
When Should I Apply Winter Fertilizer to My Lawn?
As mentioned, the best time to apply winter fertilizer to your lawn is between early October and the first few weeks of November. Adding fertilizer facilitates root growth for your grass and other plants, which is important for the springtime when greenery typically comes out of the dormant stage and begins thriving again.
How Short Should I Cut My Grass before the Winter?
Before you even think about cutting your grass, you need to clear out all of the debris it may have collected during the fall season. This includes leaves from other plants, sticks, tree branches, and any dirt that the wind may have blown onto your property. You should also pull out or remove any weeds that may have inhabited your lawn during the fall season because these usually absorb all of the nutrients that are meant for your grass. Debris that’s left on your lawn all winter long can also create dead spots throughout your grass because of the heavy weight.
How short you should cut your grass as well as the technique you should use to mow your lawn varies depending on the type of grass you have. For most cool season grass varieties like Kentucky bluegrass, a length of about 2-3 inches is ideal for the winter months. Other varieties like Bermuda grass benefit from about 1-2 inch heights during winter.
Should I Mow My Lawn During the Winter?
Grass doesn’t go dormant or stop growing in the winter. Actually, what happens is that the cold temperatures simply slow down the rate at which grass grows, but it still continues growing. Since grass is usually buried under heaps of wet snow and ice in the winter, it’s virtually impossible to mow it even if you removed the snow from your lawn. In any case, mowing wet grass is inadvisable because you could end up damaging or inadvertently pulling out the grass roots.
Can I Apply Grass Seed before It Snows?
The right time to apply grass seed depends on the type of grass you have and the climate that you live in. Cool season grass seeds are specially formulated for colder climates and can actually thrive in cold or frozen weather conditions. When purchasing the grass seed, make sure to read the label carefully or ask a garden care and maintenance expert for advice.
FOREVER GREEN LAWN & LANDSCAPE INC. is one of the most trusted and renowned family-owned and oriented lawn and garden care companies in Ontario. We’ve beautified numerous commercial and residential outdoor spaces across Toronto and the GTA for nearly 25 years and only provide the highest quality expert services for our clients. Book a complimentary consultation with one of our winter lawn care professionals today!
