Preparing Your Lawn for Winter

You can ensure a healthy green lawn, in the spring, by preparing properly in the fall. Tools that will be needed are few. A thatching rake or power thatcher, a good leaf rake, a hand or rotary spreader (I personally do not recommend a drop spreader, because if it is not properly used, too much overlap can burn the lawn and not enough overlap can cause striping) and the proper fertilizer. You may also need a good lawn soil or loam, grass seed and starter fertilizer. If you are unsure of the proper seed or fertilizer to use at any time of year, a visit to your local nursery or garden center should be helpful. Many nurseries and garden centers sell a variety of grass seeds and fertilizers to suit your needs and budget. Also you should be able to find knowledgeable associates who can answer your questions.

If you haven't thatched your lawn in the spring, September is an excellent time to do so. A power thatcher will do the best job of pulling up any thatch built up in your lawn, a thatch rake should be used if you can't use a power thatcher. If you have thatched, you still should use a good stiff rake to get up any loose dead grass and leaves. Proper raking will allow for the fertilizer and water to properly reach the roots and help your lawn grow healthier and greener.

In the northeast U.S. lawn seeding season in fall begins August 15. The warm days and cool nights are excellent for grass growth. You need to use a good loam or lawn soil to fill in any bare spots that may need to be reseeded. After laying down the seed you should put down a good starter fertilizer to promoted a quicker healthier growth of the new seed. Once you have lain the seed and fertilizer, take a good lawn rake, turn it over so that the knuckles of the tines contact the ground, and lightly pass it over the newly seeded areas to till the seeds into the soil. Once you have finished tilling in the seed be sure to water those areas well. Be sure that you use the proper seed for the area you are reseeding. A good all purpose blend of seed will contain some Rye grass, fescue, and bluegrass. The rye grass will germinate first, usually in 7 to 10 days. Next the fescues will germinate, usually about 2 weeks after laying the seed. Finally the bluegrass which take 21 days to germinate.

After your grass grows and you have cut it at least twice you can continue to winterize your lawn. After the second cut you can use a gentle all purpose fertilizer such as a 10-10-10, avoid fertilizer with weed control as it may be harmful to your new grass. If .you have not done any reseeding, September is a good time to use a winterizer with weed control, as the warm days and cool night promote weed growth as well as grass growth.

Your final fertilizing should be done late October, very early November, right after your final fall raking. Now you would use a good winterizer without any weed control as weed growth is no longer a problem this time of year and any weed preventer will have long since dissipated by the spring growing season.