Winterize Your Lawn For Beautiful Spring Greenup

Oct. 5, 2011 - PRLog -- Preparing your lawn for winter is one of the best ways to ensure a healthy lawn in the spring. Warm season turfgrasses, such as Bermuda, Zoysia, centipede, and St. Augustine, turn brown and go dormant in the winter months. This does not mean they are dead, only hibernating. Before cold weather approaches, here are a few steps to promote healthy spring greenup.

Get your soil tested. Now is the time. You can do this through your county extension agent and it costs around six bucks. The funds will also benefit the University of Georgia Turfgrass Team. They will send you the entire kit in the mail with instructions. For a list of County Agents, please visit www.ngturf.com , click on Resources, and scroll to County Extension Agent List.

Fertilize your lawn according the specifications of the soil test when you get your results (usually about two weeks). Know what’s in your fertilizer. Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) are the key ingredients in fertilizer. Nitrogen affects the color of the turf, phosphorus keeps roots strong and potassium improves turf’s tolerance of wear and tear. Mowing leaves directly into your lawn is Mother Nature’s fertilizer. However excessive clippings can be an indication that mowing frequency needs to increase. If clippings pile up, they can block sunlight and cause damage to the plant.

Aerating can be done in spring and early summer for warm season grasses, and late summer or fall for cool season grasses. This allows the plant to “breathe” by pulling small plugs of turf out so nutrients can go in. Manual aerators require a bit of hard work, especially if the yard is large. Power aerators are much easier to operate and can be rented from an equipment supplier.

Other things to take care of now are drainage issues. If there are problems, seek help from a professional landscaper. The yard may need to be graded and re-sodded before the first frost. Also, mow one last time to get a clean cut for winter because tall grass can encourage disease and fungus.

If you think you may need a professional, visit www.ngturf.com and find our Landscaper Locator at the bottom of the home page.

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NG Turf was established in 1986 by Aaron McWhorter. NG Turf produces sod for homeowners, landscapers, golf courses and sports fields. NG Turf has 6 farms in the state of Georgia and produces bermuda, centipede, fescue and zoysia.