Home and Garden Tip: Preparing Your Lawn for Winter

Fall is the most important time of year for a healthy lawn next spring! Here are three essential steps you can take now to ensure your grass survives the colder months:

1. Aerate and Overseed: Core aeration helps loosen compacted soil, allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Following aeration with overseeding (spreading new grass seed) helps fill in bare spots before winter.

2. Apply Fall Fertilizer: Switch to a winterizing fertilizer that is higher in potassium. This is crucial for strengthening the root system, rather than encouraging new top growth, which makes the lawn vulnerable to frost.

3. Mow Short (But Not Too Short): For the last two to three cuts of the season, drop your mower blade down one notch. Shorter grass helps reduce the risk of snow mold forming under heavy snow cover. Just make sure you don't scalp the lawn—aim to keep it at least 1.5 to 2 inches high.

A little work now means a lush, green lawn when spring arrives!