When it comes to winter in Georgia, many places end up getting some snow and can also get a few ice storms. This definitely limits how much you are going to be out weeding or doing regular lawn care, but there are some important things for you to do, and not do, to ensure a happy spring result for your lawn. What you do now can set the stage for a beautiful and lovely green carpet come spring, or can set you up for a lot of extra work with the spring thaw. Check out our tips below to take care of your lawn this winter!
One of the most important things to understand about winter and its effects on your grass is that during winter your grass goes dormant (if you have warm season grass, which many Georgia residents do). This means that the grass is going to be weak, brittle, and easily harmed because it is taking all its energy and sending it down to its roots during this phase. This causes the grass to be less resilient to traffic and play. During the spring and summer, your grass is in a growth phase and is able to withstand traffic and play, but in winter, it is much better for your lawn to limit the amount of traffic it is seeing. One of the most damaging time to expose your lawn to traffic in the winter is when there is fost on the grass, such as in the early mornings.
Another incredibly important tip is to keep organic material off your lawn. This means that you may need to rake up those leaves or dispose of those branches that fell down in the storm last week. When organic material builds up on your lawn, it increases the chances of bacteria and diseases being introduced to your turfgrass, making for a long spring and summer trying to manage an avoidable problem. While your grass may be dormant, it still can soak up some sun and nutrients when given the appropriate room to breathe.
As the seasons change and your grass begins to go dormant, or reaches dormancy, it is not going to need as much water as it did during the summer. Many people mistakenly believe that dormant lawns do not need any water, but they actually do. Don’t take it too far the other direction though, because they definitely need less. Make sure if you have automatic sprinkler systems that you take the time to change their schedule to avoid over-watering. Warm season grasses only need about an inch of water each week, and this includes natural precipitation.
If you need help with your lawn give Greenfeet Lawncare a call or Click the link below for a Free Estimate.
Greenfeet Lawncare Provides Service to the Following Areas
770.619.2929
North Fulton, East Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth Counties - including Alpharetta, Canton, Cobb, Cumming, Dunwoody, Gwinnett, Johns Creek, Marietta, Milton, Roswell, Sandy Springs
