The winter season can be brutal on your lawn. Even if you don’t experience much snow in East Tennessee, the freezing temperatures and turf-weakening diseases that thrive in cold weather can leave your yard looking puny by the time the ground thaws and spring approaches. We are already experiencing freezing temperatures here in East Tennessee. You can see the frost on your grass and car windshields some mornings. Get ready. Follow this guide provided by Promier Landscapes to make sure your lawn is prepared for the winter in Kingsport.
Why should you winterize your lawn?
This prepares your lawn to endure the colder temperatures and added stressors that occur during the winter. The end result will be a lawn that is healthier in the spring and will have thick, green grass for the next growing season. Plus, spring will be here before you know it, so now is the time to act.
Follow this winterization guide
- Fall fertilization: Like any living organism, your grass has vulnerabilities. Your lawn also needs nutrients to survive. Autumn is considered the ideal season to fertilize your lawn. There are special winterizing fertilizers, also known as winterizers, made for cool-season grasses. These winterizing fertilizers have a higher potassium content than other fertilizers. That infusion of potassium makes it easier for your lawn to absorb nutrients during the winter.
- Seeding: Did your lawn emerge from the summer with bare spots? You don’t want those spots to linger into the spring. Reseed your lawn before the winter, targeting areas of no grass or where your lawn has thinned. This will improve the look of your lawn come springtime.
- Hydration: Organisms need water to survive. Is your lawn getting enough moisture? You can tell just by testing the feel of your grass and soil. If they are dry to the touch, then you need to continue watering. Having a dry lawn when winter hits could lead to serious damage by the time the next spring arrives.
- Rake leaves: We had a brilliantly colored canopy of leaves this fall, but now that most of them have fallen, they spell potential trouble for your lawn. Letting your leaves remain on your lawn throughout the winter deprives your grass of oxygen and sunlight. Those leaves, when they get wet, can make for conditions that are overly damp and leave your grass susceptible to certain turfgrass diseases.
- Tool damage: If we do receive snow in Johnson City this winter, once the snow melts, you may identify areas where your turf is torn or damaged. This is especially common in areas of your lawn that border driveways or sidewalks. We recommend marking these areas with guide stakes, which are plastic or wooden posts placed along the edge of the driveway and any walkways.
- Snow mold: As temperatures start to rise again, you may see a fungus forming on any grass that is matted down and wet. This is snow mold, which is more common in areas where northern turfgrass grows but can be a problem in east Tennessee. Snow mold develops when your yard is covered with snow for a prolonged period or in extended times of cool and wet weather.
Professional lawn care in Bristol, Johnson City, and Kingsport, Tennessee
Overwhelmed by this list? Trust your lawn care to the professionals at Promier Landscapes. We can offer care that lasts all year, whether it be the start of spring, the height of the mowing season, or the middle of winter. We can winterize your irrigation system as well as your yard. We’re happy to serve all landscaping needs for our customers in the areas of Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol in Tennessee. Schedule an appointment with one of our landscaping contractors by calling (423) 872-2988.