How to Winterize Your Lawn in St. Louis

Preventative care for your lawn is a great way to prepare for Spring. While you might want to take a break from lawn care for a season, small investments like winterizing your lawn, can pay huge dividends later on. Plus, if you act quickly, you might still be able to beat the snow in your area of St. Louis, Missouri.

Although it is a natural process for your lawn to go into a state of dormancy during the winter, there are a few things that you can do to make Winter a little easier for your lawn. While you and your family might be prepared for winter, can you say the same for your lawn? Simple steps of preventative maintenance on your lawn can help your greenery weather the coming changes.

• When the ground gets too cold, it doesn’t accept nutrients as well. Before this happens, give your lawn a boost with a winterizing formula for lawns that you can purchase at your local garden center.
• To prep your grass for the snow, cut it a bit lower than you would during the growing season. Simply move your mower deck down one notch to help reduce the risk of snow mold later on.
• Come springtime, the grass on your lawn will be fighting the weeds for dominance. You can get ahead of this by weeding your lawn before it’s covered with snow. Do this by pulling the weeds or spraying them with weed killer.
• Something important to remember about St. Louis is that snow movers might be coming by your lawn in an effort to clear up the streets. If you’re not proactive, your lawn could be damaged by a snow mover. You can line your yard with boundary markers that can alert snow movers of where your lawn is.

You can take it easy for the rest of the winter as long as you remain observant. Most of the work is behind you, but it is worth looking out for desiccation, otherwise known as winterkill. Without the thermal protection of a layer of snow, desiccation can occur when your turf is exposed to cold winds that are known to dry up significant amounts of moisture. You can combat this by continuing to water your lawn in the Fall and up until the point of freezing temperatures.

What to Look Forward to In Spring

After Winter has passed, expect to do a few things before you get back to regular mowing.

• Check for snow mold after the snow has melted. Note the areas that you’ve seen pile up more than others. More accumulated snow can lead to a higher likelihood of snow mold.
• You can speed up new grass growth by raking your matted, wet grass for increased air circulation. Always try to avoid having areas of your lawn looking stagnant.
• A low first cut can also improve grass growth. Keep your mower low to the ground and take it slow so that you don’t create ruts in the ground in the damp areas of your yard.

We know time is money. You might want a flourishing lawn next Spring, but simply don’t have the time to winterize your lawn this season. If this is the case, you can call St. Louis Select at (314) 568-6550 to talk to the experts about winterizing your lawn and much more.