Winter

As our lawns recover from a dry August and September, the grass will get thick and green again as we get more rain. New grass will be popping out of the ground right up until it freezes. As the days get shorter and temperatures drop, growth will slow and eventually stop. The final cutting should leave the lawn at about 3.5 to 4 inches. Lawns that are left too long will be far more susceptible to ice and snow damage.

A final leaf cleanup is essential! Matted leaves will kill the grass underneath. Don’t let leaves pile up for any long period of time. Do a final cleanup once all the leaves are down. Be careful in newly seeded areas (especially in shady spots) – light raking or a leaf blower will get the lawn clean without pulling up the young grass plants.

Try not to walk on the lawn when it’s frozen. Be most careful in the early morning and at night when ice has formed on the grass blades. You can actually break the blades. Use ice-melting chemicals that are friendly to lawns. Stay away from rock salt. Your local garden center has many products that will not harm the lawn and actually do a better job of melting ice and snow.