Although most varieties of grass go dormant during the colder times of year, that doesn’t mean your lawn care efforts should go completely out the window in the winter. Canadian winters can be tough, especially in Brampton, Mississauga, and other parts of the GTA.
Temperatures change rapidly on a daily and sometimes hourly basis. You could wake up to a blizzard in the morning that clears up by midday and vice versa. With that kind of unpredictable weather, it can be difficult to take good care of your property. Lack of proper lawn maintenance during the winter, though, could result in dead grass come spring and summer.
Keep reading to learn about some useful winter lawncare tips or consider hiring a professional snow removal company in Mississauga to take care of your property.
Does Your Lawn Need Protection in the Winter Like It Does in Other Seasons?
Lawncare is a never-ending job, even in the winter. As a property owner, you want to take great pride in the appearance of your property. Year-round healthy grass is a good indication to your neighbours, guests, and clients that you care about the appearance of your property and have implemented painstaking measures to maintain it.
Winter lawncare is more about preparation, cleanup, and snow removal than anything else.
Winter Lawncare and Protection Tips
Snow, ice, and continuous exposure to below freezing temperatures can do a number on your lawn during the winter months. Lack of nutrition and an abundance of moisture can cause warm weather grass blades to burn out quickly, which is why they turn the colour of straw when the weather starts to cool down during the fall.
Months and months of exposure to these harsh conditions without so much as a tiny break can destroy what little nutrition is left in your grass. The good news is that the damage isn’t necessarily permanent and it can be reversed or even avoided altogether if you follow these simple tips to take care of your lawn in the winter.
Avoid All Lawn Traffic
Walking on your lawn is a bad idea no matter what time of year it is, but it’s especially a big no-no during the winter months. Snow and ice buildup are heavy enough without adding extra weight and pressure from human bodies. Playing with your kids in the snow is fun and allows you to spend quality time with them, but the weight from stepping on the wet and frozen grass can cause the blades to break and become matted once the snow melts.
Aerate and Fertilize Your Lawn
The ideal time of year to aerate and fertilize your lawn depends on the type of grass you have. Warm season grass varieties fare better in the spring and summer, whereas cool season grasses should be fertilized and aerated in the fall before the first frost. This helps your grass retain enough nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium to help it survive the cold winter months. Keep in mind that different grass varieties need different configurations of these three major nutrients, so do some research before purchasing a fertilizer. Aerating your lawn prior to fertilizing allows it to breathe and absorb more of the nutrients.
Chip Away the Ice
Ice formations are inevitable during cold Canadian winters. But they can also cause a serious safety hazard to anyone who uses your property. To keep your driveway, walkway, or parking lot clear, safe, and usable, it’s important to chip away any ice formations. You can also use an eco-friendly ice melter, so that you don’t have to walk on your lawn to get in and out of your home or business and prevent potential injuries.
Remove Debris Regularly
Lawn cleanup is an important part of property maintenance. Organic and inorganic debris should be removed immediately to prevent it from getting trapped under heavy mounds of snow and ice during the winter months. Not only does debris damage the structure of your grass blades, but organic matter that gets trapped under the snow can take away important nutrients from your grass blades.
Mow Before It Snows
Make sure to mow your lawn one last time before the first frost and snowfall of the season. The last few times you mow your lawn in the fall, lower the height of your mower a few notches and cut your grass a little shorter than you normally would. Since you won’t be cutting your grass all winter long, you can get away with taking off a few extra inches. Dormant grass doesn’t necessarily mean it stops growing altogether, just that it grows at a much slower pace than it normally would.
It’s important to mow your grass one last time before it snows because long grass can become entangled and smother itself and is more susceptible to developing diseases under heavy blankets of snow and ice for long periods of time.
Maintain and Store Your Lawncare Equipment
Lawncare equipment such as mowers, trimmers, weed wackers, rakes, etc. can be expensive to replace on a regular basis. With proper maintenance, you can easily extend the lifespan of your lawncare equipment and tools. Learn how to properly clean and store your gardening essentials during the winter months, so that they last you for many years to come.
Don’t Let the Snow Pile Up
As mentioned, heaps of heavy snow and ice can damage your grass blades, expose them to too much moisture, and promote disease development. To prevent this from happening, you need to make an effort to remove some or all of the snow from your property as much as possible. If you’re unable to do this yourself, then you should consider hiring a professional snow removal company in Mississauga or anywhere else in the GTA to do it for you.
Hire a Professional Snow Removal Contractor in Your Area
Snow and ice removal is a physically demanding job. Depending on the size of your property, it could take hours of work to thoroughly remove all of the snow and ice. You may also need special equipment such as plows or de-icing agents. Hiring a professional Brampton snow removal contractor or grass cutting service can save you a lot of time, money, and energy.
Winter Property Maintenance in the GTA
Whether you need a professional snow removal company in Mississauga or Brampton, you can count on FOREVER GREEN LAWN & LANDSCAPE INC. We’re a family-owned and operated landscaping business that also offers year-round gardening, lawncare, and property management services for throughout the GTA. Contact us today to learn more.
