Prepare your lawn for winter

Fall is the time to start putting your lawn to bed for the winter. Here are some tips for getting your lawn back into shape, preparing it for survival during the winter and a quick green-up in the spring.

Overseed lawns that have extensive turf damage or loss

Some damage is too extensive to be fixed with just an application of fertilizer. For those areas, uniformly distribute the desired seed mixture in two directions, making sure the seed is in contact with the soil. Seed-to-soil contact can be enhanced by core aerating before spreading seed. The recommended species for overseeding are perennial ryegrass (general recommendation), fine fescue (for shade or low maintenance) and tall fescue (for drought tolerance).

Remove fallen tree leaves before snowfall

If fallen leaves are not removed, the lawn will not get light and will eventually die. An alternative to leaf removal is pulverizing tree leaves with a mulching mower and letting them decompose on your lawn. Research has shown that a layer of tree leaves up to 15 cm deep can be mulched in a lawn without adversely affecting it. Mow dry leaves with a mulching mower with sharp mower blades.

Leave the lawn cut at the right height

Raise the mowing height slightly in the fall. Rooting depth is proportional to mowing height - the longer the leaves, the deeper the roots. Longer grass blades provide some insulation for the crown (growing point) of the grass plant. However, if the grass is too long going into the winter, it will become matted, which encourages winter diseases such as pink and grey snow mould.