Our Landscaping Service Pros Walk You Through a To-Do List for a Healthy Lawn Come Spring
If you take pride in your yard and garden areas, then you know just how much work goes into caring for them. And preparing these zones for winter is no exception.
For the best-possible looking yard come spring, follow our tips for preparing your yard for winter - or contact Meadowlark Landscape & Design to take care of it for you.
Put Autumn Leaves to Good Use in Your Landscaping
The pesky leaves that fall from the trees in autumn seem like a major annoyance. You have to rake them up to keep your yard looking tidy, and that can take hours, especially if you have a sizable lawn.
But if you opt to rake up every leaf in your yard, you’re wasting your time. Truthfully, the only leaves you should be removing from your lawn are those that are diseased or inundated with pests. The rest can perform a very important function as you prepare your yard for winter.
Once any diseased leaves are removed, you have a couple of options for what to do with the remainder.
We recommend using fallen leaves as insulating mulch in your garden beds to protect your perennials’ roots from the cold. Best of all, this mulch is completely free, so you can spend the money you would have used to buy mulch on something that’s important to you.
You can mulch any remaining leaves with your lawn mower, and leave the dime-size pieces scattered throughout your yard. This leaf confetti will decompose over the winter and provide your grass with important nutrients to come back full and happy in the spring.
Feed Your Lawn with Winter Fertilizer
Your lawn needs nutrients year-round, and winter is no exception. You’ll want to apply a special lawn fertilizer, sometimes called winterizer, to your lawn, rather than your normal fertilizer, before winter hits.
Winterizer contains higher levels of potassium and nitrogen than your regular fertilizer, which helps your lawn build and store necessary carbohydrates before the ground begins to freeze. When the soil thaws in the spring, the soil is nitrogen-rich and ready to help your grass grow and rapidly turn green.
The landscaping service provided by Meadowlark can help you choose the right winterizer for your lawn.
Compost All Winter to Grow Healthy Plants
Maintaining your own compost pile means you can employ your kitchen scraps, lawn clippings, and other organic materials in your landscaping, produce less waste, and save money on fertilizer.
Avoid inorganic materials in your compost bin, or any plants that have been treated with pesticides. Plant trimmings, grass clippings, fruit and veggie scraps, sawdust, coffee, and even egg shells contribute to rich compost to feed your garden and lawn all year.
Just like using leaves as mulch, making your own compost saves you money on purchasing fertilizer. Be sure to turn your compost pile a couple times per month and include a mix of greens and browns for best results.
Mow Your Lawn One Last Time
As your grass becomes dormant, you’ll want to mow it before it gets too cold outside. Lower your lawn mower cutting deck to cut your grass back to 2.75 inches or 3 inches. Don’t go too short, or the crown of the grass could freeze.
A shorter lawn prevents pests and other animals from taking up residence in your yard over the winter.
And if you’re needing a new lawn mower, now’s a great time to purchase one at an end-of-season discount.
Have Your Lawn Aerated by a Wichita Landscaping Services Professional
Lawn aeration allows air, water, and nutrients to penetrate the soil and better reach your grass roots. In the fall, you should aerate your lawn a couple of days after giving it a good watering.
Then, using the compost you’ve been creating, fertilize your lawn. Simply spread the compost over your lawn so that it fills the holes created by the aeration process.
Meadowlark Landscape & Design Will Handle Your Winter Yard Preparation
Homeowners in the Wichita, Kansas area who need help or professional advice caring for their landscaping should contact us at Meadowlark right away to schedule service before winter hits.
Our team will help you at every step of the way and can even create beautiful landscape designs in your garden, plan your new patio, and care for your lawn and plantings. Don’t waste time searching for “landscape design companies near me,” when you could just call us at 316-880-0227.