The leaves of trees begin to boast radiant hues of yellows, oranges, browns and reds, announcing the change of the seasons and the coming of a time when everything must go to rest.  As the life around your home prepares to go to sleep, you should also prepare, making sure that the return of spring will bring healthy and vibrant surprises.  Your lawn is like an organism, not simply some grass covered by snow.  The sustenance of a beautiful lawn continues to require attentive care even in the fall and winter months.  There are a number of pre-winter activities to busy yourself with in the proper preparation of your lawn for the coming of winter.

First, find out what kind of grass your lawn has.  Different types will require different management.  There are cool season grasses, like the Kentucky bluegrass, that are tolerant of cool weather but go dormant in very hot months, and there are warm season grasses, like Buffalograss, that love heat, but cannot stand the cold.  Warm season grasses need to be properly prepped before winter for the following spring when they emerge from dormancy.

Your lawn will need air and sun all throughout winter.  Achieving a good grass height after the grass stops growing will help with this, so continue to mow your lawn in the fall months until the grass has stopped growing and goes into dormancy.  Two inches above soil is a good average height.  If the grass is too short, it will be made vulnerable to winter breeze and sun.  If it is too long, it can get bended over on itself by heavy snow, or winds, causing too much moisture and the possibility of fungus growth.  When you have stopped mowing, be sure to get your equipment serviced so that it is ready and in good condition for the return of spring.

It is good to do some pruning and cleaning up of your Utah yard.  Pruning should be done after the leaves on plants have turned, announcing dormancy.  Pruning your Utah shrubs and plants at this time will encourage good new growth when spring returns.  Consult a Utah landscaping professional to find out which plants respond best to pruning.  Cleaning up your yard and raking leaves will not only maintain the clean appearance of your lawn but will prevent the leaves from suffocating grass roots and causing too much moisture and rot in the winter.  Your typical weed control maintenance should now take winter weeds into consideration.  If left alone, winter weeds will return strong at the first sign of spring.  Weed your lawn and garden areas as usual just before winter and consider weed control products specific to cold weather weeds.  Edging your flowerbeds will also save you weeding time when spring returns.

Fall is also a good time to reseed your grass for spring, especially in areas that are patchy.  The seeds will be ready to push out new grass blades in the spring.  A soil test is also a good thing to start with, letting you know the exact fertile status of your soil, helping you to determine what mineral nutrients your soil is lacking, and saving you money on fertilization products you may not need.

Fall fertilization is of paramount importance, and is the most important fertilization for the year for warm season grasses.  Although the grass ceases to grow in its dormant winter phase, the roots are still growing.  Fertilization helps to strengthen the roots throughout the winter so that when spring comes back, the new grass blades produced will be of a vibrant and excellent quality.  Employ the services of one of the best Utah landscaping companies to help determine the fertilization needs of your lawn.

Although the lawn is dormant during the winter, it is still alive and along with sun and air will also need a moderate degree of moisture.  If there is no rainfall in the winter, you should irrigate the lawn.  Doing this just before a hard freeze will help to eliminate “freeze injury” to the grass.  When the lawn is moist, its temperature is not as easily affected by cold temperatures.

Fall preparation for winter and the coming spring is one of the most important times to maintain your lawn, so just because winter comes to wrap everything in blankets of snow and chill, and your lawn goes into sleep-full dormancy, don’t just let it go!  Call All States Landscaping, one of the highest-quality Utah landscaping companies, and ask about their services.  The work you do in these months will be wonderfully rewarded with a lush and lively lawn, worthy of talk next spring!