Tips for Maintaining Your Lawn This Winter

When you think about lawn maintenance, your mind probably immediately goes to taking care of your yard during the spring and summer months. Especially in the Charlotte area, these are the months that you live outside. When the weather is nice, it only makes sense to take full advantage of it by spending as much time outside as possible. Of course, this also involves maintaining your lawn.

But what about during the winter? By actively maintaining your lawn during the winter, you can help to improve the long-term health of your lawn and ensure that it will look its best during the spring and summer, when it matters most.

Understand Your Type of Grass
Before you can create a plan of action, it is important to know what type of grass you have at your home. Roughly 80 percent of the lawns in the Charlotte area are tall fescue, which is classified as a cool season grass. The other major player in our area is Bermuda grass, which accounts for roughly 15 percent of the lawns in Charlotte. Bermuda is considered to be a warm season grass.

Know When to Fertilize
There are winterizing fertilizers available that will give your lawn the nutrients it needs to prepare for the cold weather. These fertilizers are high in potassium, which helps to strengthen your lawn so that it can survive the cold and stress of the winter months. Winter fertilizers also contain nitrogen and phosphorous, which work together to enhance leaf, stem, and root growth.

If you have a cool season lawn (tall fescue), then you should strongly consider applying a winter fertilizer. Tall fescue has its peak growing season in the fall, making this the perfect time to give it an extra boost.

If you have a warm season lawn (Bermuda), then you do not need to apply a winter fertilizer. Bermuda grass actually goes dormant in the winter, which is why the entire lawn turns brown after the first frost. Instead, fertilizer should be applied to Bermuda lawns during the spring and summer.

Understanding your grass is key to maintaining your lawn this winter. For more information on how to take care of your lawn, contact the experts at Vision Green.