It’s tempting to think of winter as a break from lawn care. For one thing, it’s cold, and isn’t grass dormant anyway? Well, yes, it is, eventually, but it’s a little more complicated than that. If the days are sunny and outdoor temperatures are above freezing – like they are for most of Georgia’s mild winters — grass will continue to grow, although its rate of growth will slow. You may even have to mow at some point. Here are a few important steps you can take to care for your grass, dormant or not, this winter.
1. Minimize foot traffic. During the winter, the metabolism of grass plants slows down. The relatively low amount of energy they produce is mostly devoted to keeping roots alive, which means the blades are less resilient. It’s not always possible to eliminate foot traffic entirely, but less is clearly better, especially just after a frost.
2. Decorate mindfully. Holiday decorations can also damage grass. Whenever possible, keep larger, heavier items on driveways, patios, and porches. If you choose to display decorations on your lawn, move them at night to minimize the number of hours per day that they’re resting on grass. You might also consider placing them in different spots every day so no single area is disproportionately affected.
3. Clean up organic debris. Cold conditions and winter storms can cause weakening tree limbs to fall. You may also see the last fallen leaves continue to accumulate. In addition to preventing air, sunshine, and rainfall from reaching grass, decaying wood can attract termites. Bugs and fungi are at their least active in the winter, but you don’t need to provide them with comfortable piles of wet leaves and grass clippings for them to snuggle down in and feed on when they emerge from dormancy.
4. Keep watering until the ground freezes at the usual rate, one inch per week, making up for whatever rainfall doesn’t provide. We don’t have to worry as much about the pipes in irrigation systems freezing as much as people in other parts of the country do, but it’s still a good idea to keep an eye on weather reports in case you need to drain them.
5. Maintain your lawn treatment regimen year-round. An application of pre-emergent herbicide and time-release fertilizer in the fall will ensure your grass receives a steady, low level of nutrients over the winter and wakes up to a healthy meal in the spring, while preventing many weeds from germinating and competing for those nutrients.
It’s safe to say that you’ll have to devote less time to lawn chores during the winter than you do at other times of year, but some tasks are necessary year-round to ensure the long-term health of your turf. Simply Organic specializes in the use of natural nutrients to keep your yard in peak condition. If you have questions about caring for your lawn this winter, or if you spot something unusual in your grass that you’re concerned about, our experienced professionals are here to help.