Keeping your lawn beautiful all winter long
The warm winters around Phoenix and Tucson call for special lawn care to keep seasonal grasses looking their best and deter the growth of weeds.
Know Your Grass
In Arizona, most lawns have warm-season grasses. These require different treatment than the cool-season varieties more often found in Northern areas that see a lot of snow over the winter.
Keep it Fed
Part of the difference between warm- and cool-season grasses is the timing of fertilization. Feed your lawn in the fall with a fertilizer designed for your grass type to give it a healthy start when spring rolls around.
Remember to Water
Grass in areas where a lot of snow falls automatically get watered when it melts. In warmer climates, lawns need to be helped along a bit with regular wintertime watering to prevent grass from withering.
Aerate
Compacted soil discourages growth of deep roots, allowing thatch to take over and setting the stage for a choked, weed-ridden lawn. An aerator will remove some of the soil and get air where it needs to go.
Mow the Lawn
If the winter is mild enough, grass will grow. Establish a regular mowing schedule to keep your lawn healthy, but avoid mowing the grass too short or too often as this may cause it to dry out.
Clean Up
Grass won’t get a chance to grow if sunlight can’t get to it. Keep the lawn free from debris to encourage healthy development and discourage invasion by weeds.
Stay Off the Grass
Though grass does grow during winter in mild climates, the cooler weather slows this process. Regularly walking the same paths across the lawn can wear away healthy grasses and make it hard for your lawn to bounce back in spring.
Prevent Infestation
Several methods of pre-emergent weed control are available to ensure that troublesome plants like crabgrass don’t take root over the winter. Treat the lawn in late fall to stop growth before it starts.
Pull the Weeds
If you find weeds in your lawn during the winter, use the oldest control method there is. Grab some gardening gloves and a trowel and get rid of them by hand.
Stay Alert
Keep an eye on your lawn all season and get ready to start up with routine grass care again around February. After all, you don’t want all your hard work to go to waste when the weather starts to warm back up.
If you need some help with winter lawn care, contact us at Burns Pest Elimination. Our weed control services are guaranteed to keep your lawn free from invasive plants no matter what the season.
