Winter has a way of coming early in the Denver metro area and this year is no different. All that snowfall changes the way you use and care for your home’s landscaping. If you’re new to the area or haven’t had the responsibility of taking care of landscaping in the past, you probably aren’t sure where to start. Though it’s easy to think you can just let your lawn sit over the winter months, your trusted sprinkler repair team in Denver knows that nothing could be further from the truth. You still need to give your lawn a little TLC if you want it to rebound in the spring. Here are a few key tasks you should do to take care of your lawn during the coldest part of the year.

Fertilize Your Lawn

Most homeowners think about fertilizing their grass and garden beds in the spring before the growing season starts in earnest. While this is definitely helpful, it’s not the only time you should give your grass a little food. Whenever possible, apply a good amount of fertilizer before the ground freezes solid. Most years, this won’t happen until mid-November, so you still have time! 

That fertilizer helps replenish the nutrients in the soil that your grass used up during the summer and fall. This allows the roots to stay healthy and makes it easier for your lawn to recover in time for the growing season. If you’re not comfortable doing this on your own, contact your landscaping expert and get their advice. They’ll be able to tell you what type of fertilizer is best for your yard and how to apply it properly.

Schedule a Blowout

If you have a sprinkler system running across your property, you need to get it ready for the winter months, too. Otherwise, you risk damaging your lawn, your home, and your water bill. Think of it this way: water runs from your home’s water main through pipes to each sprinkler head on the property. Turning the water supply off will keep new water from flowing through the pipes, but it won’t do anything to get rid of the water already inside the pipes. If that water freezes, it can rupture the pipes, flood your lawn, and cause all sorts of problems for your property.

The best thing you can do is schedule a blowout with your sprinkler maintenance team. During this appointment, they’ll use a high-pressured air compressor to purge the water from the lines in your sprinkler system. This effectively dries the system out and makes your sprinklers safe even in the harsh winter temperatures. 

Aerate Your Grass

Over the course of the growing season, the dirt beneath your grass can get compacted. This happens when people walk across the surface over and over again or when you leave lawn furniture or decorations out for months on end. Once the soil gets compacted, it keeps the roots from getting the oxygen and nutrients they need to make your lawn lush and green when the growing season comes back around.

Luckily, you can do something about it. All you have to do is aerate the lawn when the weather starts to turn. The process involves punching holes in your soil to give the roots room to breathe. Most homeowners prefer to use automated lawn aerators to take care of the task quickly. However, if your budget is tight, you can pick up an aerating fork at your local hardware or garden supply store.

Rake It Often

Though leaves and plant debris can enrich the soil when they have a chance to break down, they can also cause serious damage and ongoing problems for your lawn. The leaves trap moisture between the soil and the top of your lawn. That moisture can’t evaporate and then encourages mold and mildew growth in your grass. This will create dead patches of grass when the growing season starts. Worse, the mold and mildew can spread to other parts of your lawn.

The best thing you can do is rake it every week or two. Pick up the piles of leaves and collect them away from your lawn. If you want to use them as compost for your garden bed, collect the leaves and let them break down in a dry spot in your yard. If you don’t want to create your own compost, bag the leaves and throw them out with your garbage.

Spread Seed

Believe it or not, the best time to plant more grass isn’t always in the spring. It’s actually in the late fall before the ground freezes. Spread fresh grass seed in the bare patches or under-performing parts of your lawn. Then, water the new seeds well during the heat of the day. You’ll need to use your garden hose with a spray nozzle for best results since your sprinkler system should be off for the season. 

Once you see the seeds start to sprout, you can stop watering and let them grow on their own. The roots from the sprouted seeds will continue to grow over the winter months. Once the weather warms up, the new seed will grow with the rest of your lawn. Keep in mind that there will always be some seeds that don’t make it through the winter. You may need to spread more seeds in spring to fill in any gaps that you find.

Follow These Tips This Winter

Keeping your home’s landscaping looking great during the spring is only possible if you take the time to maintain your yard during the winter. Follow these simple tips this winter and you’ll be in good shape and your lawn will recover from the cold quickly when the weather warms backup. It may take a bit of work and determination, but the results once the weather warms back up will be more than worth it. If you still need to schedule a sprinkler blowout or are worried about your system’s ability to survive the winter, don’t panic. Contact our team to schedule an appointment.