How to prepare your yard for colder weather | HomeWork

Q: How should I prepare my lawn for fall and winter?

A: Falls cooler, wetter weather means that you can ease back on lawn and landscape maintenance. But there are some important steps your should take to get your lawns and gardens ready for next spring.

Most experts recommend that you start winterizing work about six weeks before the first hard freeze.

This is the ideal time to sow or seed cool-season grasses such as fescue and rye. Sowing in the fall gives your lawn the opportunity to germinate and develop a good root system before a possible freeze.

Fall is also when you want to fertilize turf grasses, preferably with a slow-release, all-natural fertilizer. Given adequate nutrients, turf grasses can store food in the form of carbohydrates during the winter months, which will yield a better-looking lawn come spring.

This is also the appropriate time for a second application of pre-emergent herbicide. The first application, typically done in late winter or early spring, combats weed seeds that landed on the lawn. The fall application is for seeds that have been deposited during the summer months.

Another important task is removing unsightly or unruly foliage, dried stems and similar debris.

Once youve cleaned everything up, you can take stock and consider sparse areas where you might want to fill in with new plants. Trees, shrubs and various perennials are good options, especially those that will give you some seasonal color such as mums, asters and pansies.

If you have a cool-season vegetable garden, you can fill it in with lettuce and other greens, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips and potatoes. During the process, use as much of your compost as possible by spreading it in flower beds and at the base of trees and shrubs.

Dont forget to give some attention to your container plants. Perennials can be transplanted from their containers into the garden. For the best results, trim their roots a bit to stimulate the growth of feeder roots and gently trim top growth. With annuals, even though they only last a year, try taking cuttings and root them either in water or the appropriate potting medium.

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How to prepare your yard for colder weather | HomeWork