Now’s the Time to Winterize Your Lawn

 

Our typical Colorado winters can be rough on lawns, so it’s important to take time now to prepare your grass for the season ahead. There are three steps you need to do now to get your lawn ready for winter and off to a great start next spring. Two steps focus on improving the soil your grass plants are growing in and include aeration and the incorporation of organic materials into the landscape. Step three is to feed the lawn with winter-specific fertilizer.

 

Your lawn is already responding to October’s cooler weather. The grass isn't growing as vigorously and typically, you're mowing less frequently. While top growth has slowed down, grass roots are still very active storing nutrients and moisture, getting ready for the winter season.  All this activity at the root level makes this an important time to build soil structure and to feed your lawn.

 

This is accomplished by first aerating the lawn, then adding organic material to soil in the form of humate. Aeration is important because it relieves compaction and opens the soil, which allows air, water, and fertilizer to penetrate to the roots. You can do aeration yourself or hire it done. Just make sure you get a good core extraction, not just punch holes in the ground.

 

Next, add granular humate to your lawn. Granular humate will break down clay, improve soil structure and increase microbial activity in the soil. 

Humate will also help your grass take up nutrients more effectively and stay greener with less water. After applying Humate, water in thoroughly and you're ready to choose a winter-specific lawn fertilizer.

A good winterizer fertilizer should contain more Nitrogen than Phosphate and Potash. Typically, the numbers on the bag will read something like 25-5-6. Nitrogen is always listed first, Phosphate second and Potash third. The numbers represent the percentage of Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potash in the bag. For example, a twenty-pound bag of 25-5-6 winterizer fertilizer contains 5 pounds of Nitrogen, 1 pound of Phosphate and 1.2 pounds of Potash.

 

Fertilizers applied at this point in the season do not contribute to significant top growth. Instead, the Nitrogen component in these fertilizers is absorbed by the root system. This will ensure there’s enough food available for a quicker green-up and stronger top growth early in the spring season. Phosphates and Potash in winterizer fertilizers build strong root system which helps the grass crowns survive the winter.

 

Over the next few weeks, gradually lower your mower's height so that the last cutting will be about two- and one-half inches tall. 

 

During the winter, use a simple sprinkler to water your lawn every four to five weeks.  This will also benefit the trees and shrubs planted in or near your lawn. Winter watering is especially important where the lawn and trees are surrounded by sidewalks and streets. Do this when the temperature is above 40°F. Taking these steps now will help ensure a healthier lawn next spring.