What should I do to prepare my lawn for winter? (ASK Around)

There's a chill in the air, leaves are changing colors, and the holidays are right around the corner! Here are some steps you can take this fall to prepare your lawn for winter's dropping temperatures before the first frost hits.

• Mow your lawn shorter than usual. As temperatures decrease, your grass will grow more slowly or not at all if it goes dormant in your region during the coldest months. Accordingly, you’ll need to mow less frequently to maintain the same height. At the same time, it’s best to mow your grass short (2 or 2.5 inches) as preparation for winter to prevent matting and decrease risk of snow mold or other damage (especially in northern regions). If your grass is quite long now, just make sure to decrease the height gradually and avoid cutting off too much length at once.
• Keep fallen leaves for compost/mulch. Many people spend their fall raking and bagging dead leaves to keep the lawn looking green. However, these can actually be a great nutient source for your soil! Thick, matted leaves can trap moisture and breed disease, but chopping them into smaller pieces with your lawn mower’s mulching blade jumpstarts decomposition and allows the nutrients in the leaves to be recycled. If you compost your leaves or other yard/kitchen scraps, fall is a good time to top-dress areas of your lawn where the grass is sparse with half an inch of mature compost.
• Aerate your lawn before expected first frost date. (If you don't know, heck an almanac to find out when the first frost is expected in your region.) Some lawns require aeration annually, especially if you have clayey soil, but others only need it once every 2-5 years. If your soil is healthy (not compacted) and doesn’t need aeration this year, you may still consider dethatching or scarifying this fall if excessive thatch has built up and needs to be removed. If scarifying is needed, make sure to leave plenty of time for your grass to recover before the first frost since this is an aggressive procedure.
• Apply recommended fall fertilizer based on last soil test results. SoilKit gives seasonal recommendations for lawncare in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, so you know exactly what to do when to take care of your lawn or garden.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicide to prevent winter weed growth. This isn't a concern in the snowy north, but in southern regions you will definitely want to be wary of cold-season weeds that will take advantage of winter to outcompete your grass. A pre-emergent herbicide is a great way to stay on top of this issue -- just be careful of timing if you've recently overseeded this fall.
• Avoid excesses: Although fall is a great time to give extra TLC to your lawn, be aware that too much of a good thing can still be too much! Just like other times of the year, be wary of overwatering, overfertilizing, and mowing off too much height at once to make the most of your efforts and protect your grass from stress and disease.

Fall or even winter is also a great time to take your yearly soil sample so you can calculate and purchase recommended fertilizers the upcoming spring growing season (as long as the ground isn’t frozen and too hard to dig). Even while your grass growth is slowing down this season, there's still so much you can do to prepare for a safe winter and a beautiful greenup next spring!