When do you need to start preparing the lawn for the winter? The answer will depend on the climatic conditions characteristic of each district. In Siberia, they usually start mowing the lawn for the winter at the end of August. Residents of warmer areas sometimes begin preparatory procedures in November. It is necessary to orientate the grass to grow up to 6 cm from the moment of preparatory mowing to the first frost.
How to prepare a lawn for winter?
Preparation of the lawn for winter includes several stages:
- Cleaning lawn from fallen branches and debris. It is easiest to remove the lawn with rakes. Cleaning from fallen leaves should be done several times, preferably immediately after the fall leaves - they completely cover the lawn from the light.
- Aeration of the soil: the ground is pierced by pitchfork to the depth of the teeth. Aeration is necessary to ensure that the water accumulated in the upper layer of the soil goes into the deep layers. Aeration with pitchfork for a few days transforms the lawn, through which many walked. Improves drainage of the soil, the grass receives more nutrients.
- Lawn mowing. The total height of the grass should be at least 4 cm. Remaining after mowing or cutting, small grass blades will be washed off the lawn.
- Feeding the soil.
- Mulching the soil.
Feeding the soil
You can feed the soil with several kinds of fertilizers:
- Potassium. The action of potassium is similar to the action of antifreeze - it does not allow the cell sap of herbs to freeze in the cold season.
- Phosphorus. It is one of the most important minerals that ensure normal development and good plant growth.
Phosphate-potassium fertilizers are introduced into the soil in October. The main thing when choosing complex fertilizers is to pay attention to the nitrogen content. Fertilize the soil with nitrogen before preparing the lawn for winter: it causes rapid cell division, accelerated growth of grasses, as a result of which grass shoots lose resistance to frost, and the lawn in winter can completely freeze.
Lawn mowing
It is very important to ensure that the grass before going under the snow was not less than 6 cm, but not very high. Cutting lawn for winter is mandatory, otherwise the grass will not survive the winter. Too high growth of unprimed grass will lead to the trapping of the lawn under the snow. Short grass (less than 6 cm) can not provide the plant with the necessary amount of oxygen. Therefore, the lawn should be cut with such a calculation that by the time of the first frosts it will grow 2-3 cm.
Important! Do not cut the lawn immediately before freezing. Grass will not have time to recover.
Sowing the lawn for the winter
The so-called winter sowing of lawn grass is not such a rare practice. To ensure that the grass has successfully survived the winter, it is necessary to sow the lawn in the interval from the beginning of August to the beginning of September. And the sooner, the better. But winter sowing of grass will not save us from the need to sift through the areas that were frozen during the cold season.
How to keep the lawn in winter?
There are several secrets that will help the lawn safely spend the winter:
- Reduce the load on the lawn. Running on the lawn in the winter is not worth it. Of course, it is not possible to completely exclude movement through a snow-covered lawn, but active loads, such as playing with dogs, skiing, can be carried out only at a height of snow cover above the lawn of at least 20 cm.
- Destruction of ice . In the winter months and early in the spring, a light ice crust forms on the snow. It hampers the flow of oxygen, so you need to get rid of such icy blankets. It is best to break the crusts with rakes or simply walk around an ice-covered lawn.