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Winterize Your Lawn Before Fall is Over
Written by Adam Coholan, an active blogger out of New York who writes about landscaping and exterior design based on his experience working with luxury homes in Queens. You can follow him on Twitter @Coho22
It’s not much fun to think about winter during the long sunny days of late summer, but that cold season will soon be upon us. Giving some thought to winterizing your lawn now will save you time and trouble when spring next rolls around. Here are a few ideas to consider when getting your lawn ready for winter:
For starters, all landscaping and flowerbeds should be weeded. Removing weeds before they have a chance to go to seed will improve the likelihood of having weed-free beds when spring arrives. Soggy leaves left on the lawn below a layer of snow can damage or kill the grass, and will promote their return when winter ends.
The fall is also the perfect time to test and treat your soil. Have the pH balance and chemical makeup of the earth in your lawn and garden measured. Any fertilizers that are added in the fall will have plenty of time to become fully integrated into the soil before it’s time to plant. October is often the best time for fall aeration of a lawn, but this can vary depending on location, so make sure to consult your local lawn professionals.
Finally, once frost hits, have the lawn mowed one last time. It’s often best to make this cut quite a bit shorter than normal. This will prevent the buildup of dead grass, which could suffocate any new growth come spring.
For those that are into gardening, it’s the time to plant springtime bulbs and remove summer ones. Fall is the season for planting anything you want to see emerge early next year. There’s nothing like seeing new daffodils or tulips popping up to announce that spring has arrived. Many summer bulbs including dahlias and gladiolus cannot survive harsh winter temperatures. If you live in a particularly cold climate, you will probably want to remove them and store them in a cool, dry place for replanting next year.
My Grass is Thinning!
Ok thinning grass is not as bad as thinning hair but it is a concern! People want to know why their grass gets thinner every year in certain spots on their yard. There are a few things that grass needs to thrive. Everyone knows it needs water & some fertilizer. But people often forget another key element…. SUNLIGHT. Trees get bigger every year so the shade on your property grows and overshadows the grass. So just because your grass is thick & full in year one does not mean it will be the same in year 5 or 6.
Super tall homes also create a ton of shade so pay attention to that also. Between trees & your actual house some grass areas will never get good results. What to do about those areas? Re seed every year, cut down some trees or just trim, also you can give up on those areas. By give up I don’t mean let the thin spots just be awful looking. Change it up. Put in pine straw or a rock bed with shade tolerant plants. Be creative.
Know Your Lawn Guy…Really?
Do you have any idea who the people are who show up on your property every week to mow your lawn? Are they upstanding hard workers or are they a potential threat to your property? Probably the former. Most people are good in my opinion.
It is easier to get a feel for the people working on your yard if you deal with a smaller company. If you hire a large outfit for your lawn care then there may be up to 4 people on your property at once as part of a crew. A smaller company may have just one guy or just one guy and a helper. I think it is easier to get to know a one man show. Just make sure and ask your friends and neighbors who they use for lawn care. They are not going to recommend anyone that might be a problem.
Just Stop Cutting Your Grass
If you hate your neighbors & your community just stop mowing your lawn. It will repulse your neighbors and embarrass your community. Not to mention it will devalue your property & those surrounding you.
Stop Paying Tru-Green
Money is tight for everyone. One thing that people keep paying for is lawn treatment. Having a green lawn is key to “fitting in” to a sub division. You don’t want to be the one neighbor with a jacked up lawn. But you can save that money if you absolutely have to. Just put out some fertilizer. 10-10-10 is a safe bet but the higher the numbers (ex 16-16-16) the faster your lawn will green up in general. This does not control weeds but if your grass is fed it will grow and choke out many weeds.
Big companies that do lawn treatments know what they are doing so if you monitor their efforts, you will get good results. But if you are in a $$$ pinch it is possible to do it yourself and get decent results.
Fall Grass for Georgia
Many people make the mistake of doing nothing to their lawn in the fall. They think they can just wait until spring and start again. That is an ok plan but there are many ways to improve your lawn in the fall for great results in the spring.
Aeration in the fall & the spring will do wonders. If you have a fescue lawn and want to keep it thick then plant some rye grass. It is very inexpensive and will grow quickly. Of course a simple fertilizer is a good plan for the fall also. 10-10-10 is a safe bet for any lawn. But get a soil test kit to see exactly what your soil needs.
Interesting Lawn Service
I saw an interesting article on a guy running an enviro friendly lawn service, which he actually won in a franchise contest. He uses many electric tools that are charged from solar panels on his truck. More and more green companies like this are popping up to fill a niche in the lawn service and landscaping world.The full story is here.
Zero Turn Mowers for Homeowners
Zero turn mowers are great! Compared to old style lawn tractors ZTR mowers are like color tv compared to black and white televisions. They are faster, more efficient, and easier on your arms since you are not fighting a steering wheel.
In recent years ztr homeowner models have become more popular and now are sold at Home Depot and similar big box stores. These mowers have the same design as commercial mower as they do turn on a dime. But they are far from being as tough as a commercial zero turn mower. Just by eye balling a home owner model you can see they are not built the same as a commercial one. The decks are thinner, tires smaller, and I imagine the spindles are not as good. I would advise a homeowner to buy a used commercial mower instead of a homeowner model ztr. The commercial model will last a heck of a lot longer in my opinion.
Georgia Weather 2010
2010 weather in North Georgia has been so nice thus far. Not too hot. Perfect rain amounts. Cool nights. This has been the most comfortable start to summer I remember. Grass and plants look great. I love it.
