Saturday, September 12, 2009

Lawn Aeration - STOP and Read This FIRST

By Jodi Nations

A green lawn is inviting - and a carpet of lush grass screams of care and pride in your home. Set the tone of your neighborhood and produce the lawn that everyone is talking about. To do that you of course need to properly tend your lawn throughout the growing season. That includes mowing, watering, weeding, and raking as needed. However, as the fall gets near your lawn will thrive in the spring if you go about a good winterizing program of lawn aeration and fertilization.

Winterizing is particularly necessary in colder areas where winter frost and snow covers the ground for extended periods. Contrary to popular belief, grass doesn't die in the winter. Rather, it hibernates during the long, cold, sunless months much like a bear or deer. Winterizing is especially helpful if the lawn isn't in optimal health to begin with.

Timing does matter. When it comes to your lawn, the timing for your winterizing should be just before the first frost. Of course, since you cannot control the weather, you just need to do the best you can. It is better to be too early than to be too late.

If possible before the first frost, rake debris and leaves from the lawn to allow sunlight and the earth's nutrients into the soil during the winter. Keeping the lawn free of dead or dying organic matter will prevent disease and mold from setting in. The act of raking also aerates the soil, allowing a deeper penetration of sun and moisture. Even better than raking alone is a good deep plug aeration.

Make sure you remove as many weeds as possible. Weeds don't hibernate like grass does and allowing them free reign during the winter will make them harder to abate in the springs. Use a weed killer and remove visible growth.

With the aeration done, the lawn cleaned up, the weeds taken care of - do not forget the winterizing fertilizer. It will bring your lawn back strong and fast in the spring.

Just follow a good winterizing routing or have someone do it for you (much easier!), and before you know it spring will be here and so will your lawn.

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