Do you know how to prepare your yard for fall and winter? The grasses in your lawn will stop growing for fall and winter but you’ll still want to keep up its health throughout the season.
So in this article, you will learn how to prepare your lawn for fall and winter which will enable you to have vibrant green grass throughout the following growing season.
How to Prepare your Yard for Fall and Winter
Your turf grasses’ growth is going to slow down when temperatures drop including the grass blades and length, but it’s still important to maintain proper lawn height.
This will differ depending on your lawn turf grass species. When your grass grows too tall as temperatures drop usually around 3 inches for most grasses.
We recommend these steps below:
1. Regular Mowing
You start mowing to about half an inch below your usual mowing height and cut off no more than one-third of the blades current length.
Mow regularly until your grass reaches dormancy cool season, grasses that continue to grow later into the year may still need to mowed at least once a week.
Read also:Â MSM Turf | How To Use
2. Always Clean Your Lawn
The layer of dead grass left behind after mowing should be clean with other debris, like, leaves and branches. You need to regularly picked them up to keep your lawn clean. If not they’ll create coverage over your turf creating suitable conditions for fungi weeds and insects.
3. Aeration
If you find your soil is heavily compacted aerating will help increase flow and drainage you can do this with specialized tools.
Aeration allows water and nutrients to seep deeper into the soil and encourage stronger roof developments. We recommend you aerate your lawn while your grass is still actively growing.
4. Applying Herbicides
If you’ve noticed weed growth during previous growing seasons, then consider laying a pre-emergent herbicide. A pre-emergent herbicide is used to prevent weeds from germinating.
When temperatures are ideal for weed growth for most Lawns that we recommend, you use a product like barricade granular.
Pre-emergent herbicide as barricade is a flexible broad-spectrum herbicide that can be used on many different turf kinds of grass to prevent various broadleaf and grassy weeds from growing.
5. Applying Barricade
To stop winter weeds, apply barricade during fall. Once the soil temperatures are cold, 260 °F with a 7 to 10pound bag containing 0.58 % of diamine.
Your application rate will depend on your turf grass species like creeping bentgrass or red fescue. You’ll apply 1.5 pounds of product per 1,000 square feet.
Turf with grasses like st. Augustine or Bahia grass, you’ll apply for pounds per 1,000 square feet after application be sure to water the product.
End with at least half an inch of water within in 14 days. This application will prevent weeds from sprouting until spring.
Read also:Â Winter Annual Weeds: Treatment and Prevention
6. Applying Post Emergent Herbicides
If you have currently established weeds in your lawn, then you’ll need to apply for post-emergent herbicides unlike pre-emergent herbicides.
Post-emergent herbicides will kill weeds that have already sprouted wings. You can actually stop growth in your grass, weed still nutrients water and sunlight from your turf and other desirable plants you may want. So it’s vital to kill any weeds in your lawn to get rid of established weeds on warm-season turf.
7. Applying Fahrenheit Herbicide
We recommend you use Fahrenheit all-season turf then use MSM Turf. Both products are selective herbicides that will need to be mixed with water before application.
To treat weeds with Fahrenheit herbicides, you can mix and apply a 0.09 to 0.28 ounces in one gallon of water over 1,000 square feets of treatment area depending on your targeted weed.
8. Applying MSM Turf Herbicide
If you’re using MSM Turf Herbicide, you’ll mix and apply 0.0057 to 0.023 ounces in one gallon of water over 1,000 square feet of the treatment area.
You can apply your solution to your targeted weeds by using a fan spray to cast the weeds thoroughly until wet, and you will see the affected weeds start to die within two weeks of application.
9. Fertilization
Fertilization is essential for any Lawns health during the winter, and the best time to fertilize is during fall before your grass becomes dormant. This way your grass stores and slowly uses the nutrients to overwinter.
We recommend you use a fertilizer like Solutions 8-12-16 Fall Grow Fertilizer, which can be broadcast over your lawn at a rate of 5% per 1,000 square feet for warm season turfs. Apply one time before your grass becomes dormant.
For cool season turfs, you may want to apply fertilizer every six to eight weeks during its growing season until it becomes dormant.
Where To Get Herbicides To Help Prepare My Yard For Fall and Winter?
Tip-Off
Winter may be periods of reduced growth but the right preparation will ensure your lawn stays in good health all the way through to spring. With these professional products and tips from we @PestClue, you can maintain the lush green grass.
If you like these tips on how to prepare your yard for fall and winter, do well to share this information with your friends and loved ones as well, to keep their grasses lushing green during fall and winter.
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