Cold weather can be unforgiving to lawns. When summer is over and the temperatures begin to drop, you may discover your grass turning brown or even dying.
With a little work, however, you can protect your lawn from the cold weather. Just follow these five tips to keep your lawn healthy in fall and winter.
#1) Remove Leaves
Whether you rake them, suck them up with the lawnmower or blow them away using a leaf blower, you should remove the leaves from your lawn.
While leaves may seem harmless enough, they’ll blanket your lawn while reducing or eliminating the amount of sunlight that the grass receives. Removing leaves allows your grass to receive optimal sunlight, thereby warming your lawn and protecting it from the cold.
#2) Mow Less Frequently
During summer, it’s not uncommon for homeowners to mow their lawn once a week. Most grasses grow fastest during this time of year, so constantly mowing is required for a clean and tidy lawn.
In the fall and winter, though, you should mow your lawn less frequently. The stress of mowing combined with exposure to cold temperatures can kill an otherwise healthy lawn.
#3) Avoid Pesticides and Herbicides
It’s best to avoid using pesticides or herbicides on your lawn if you’re worried about the cold weather. These products contain a plethora of chemicals and toxins that can stress grass.
Even if an herbicide or pesticide doesn’t kill your lawn, it may contribute to poor growth, brown spots and other problems due to the increased stress it causes. So, wait until the following spring to apply an herbicide or pesticide.
#4) Fertilize Once
A good rule of thumb is to fertilize your lawn during fall, immediately before the first cold snap. When the weather forecast calls for freezing or sub-freezing temperatures, go ahead and fertilizer your lawn.
Applying a high-NPK fertilizer will provide your lawn with valuable calcium, nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients that it needs to grow and stay healthy.
#5) Cut Back on Watering
In addition to mowing, you should also water your lawn less frequently during fall and winter. The lack of heat means more water to absorb and remain in the soil.
Some water is good but too much can stress your lawn while contributing to fungal disease in the process. Only water your lawn during fall and winter if it hasn’t rained in a week or longer.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
Most lawn care will be minimal during this time anyway and most trees know what to do as long as they are healthy. Love #4 about only fertilizing once. People over do it all the time. Thanks!
Winter season can mean a big break in lawn care for us, though our tree service is still active throughout the year! All great tips in the trade!
Hi, You explain it like an expert. Your tips are too useful about lawn health in fall and winter. Now I understand what should to do for keeping my lawn healthy in fall and winter. Thanks for the sharing such an informative article.
I’m grateful for your advice that we must be avoiding pesticides and herbicides. Although I had no idea about these lawn products, I’d be interested to know them more. In that way, I could relate and discuss it with the landscape expert.
I appreciate how you said that the grass is more prone to illness during the colder season, so it is best to mow less frequently once it gets cold. To be honest, I do not even know if I should stop mowing the lawn now or if it has reached the ideal length. Maybe I should hire a professional as I do not want to kill my lawn.