When the leaves start falling from trees and pumpkins begin popping up in the stores, it's time to begin thinking about the winter needs of your lawns. We're going to cover what to do to prepare for the season ahead. The following tips and advice are the essentials for timing your year-end pre-winter lawn preparation just right.

When Does Winter Affect Lawn Growth?

Grass doesn’t automatically go dormant and stop growing during the winter months. If you live in a part of the country where temperatures stay reasonably warm all year round, you can enjoy a green lawn during all 12 months. However, if your area gets consistent winter temperatures of below 55 degrees Fahrenheit for a prolonged period of weeks or months, your grass will go dormant for a while.

This dormancy doesn't kill your grass and is a biological protective measure that helps your lawn survive winter months. Nonetheless, there are things you can do to help the grass along.

What Length Should You Cut the Lawn Before Winter?

You should cut your lawn down to a healthy winter length shortly before real winter cold begins. Doing so helps the lawn avoid winter mold growth, while also making spring management easier. The tricky part of cutting your lawn for the last time in the year is in deciding on how short to cut it.

You want the grass to be trimmed down enough to avoid potential mold, but cutting it too short can induce cold shock in the grass and cause parts of it to die off. Aim for a uniform trimming down to a height of about 2 inches.

When Should You Mow the Lawn for the Last Time?

There’s a bit of leeway for when to mow your lawn before winter sets in, and part of this depends on your regional winter onset time. Keep a few basic but crucial rules in mind:

Temperature

Once temperatures consistently start to drop below 55 degrees, you should mow warm weather grasses such as zoysia, St. Augustine, bahia or centipede grass down to 2 inches. For cold-weather grasses, you should perform your last trim of the year as soon as temperatures regularly dip to 45 degrees or lower.

Frost

You should never cut your lawn if it’s covered in frost. This can badly shock it and cause long-term harm. However, once you’ve noticed persistent winter temperatures of below 45 to 55 degrees, the first time when there’s no frost in the morning is your ideal day for a final cutting.

Regrowth

On a final note, if you cut your grass just a bit too early because the weather went through an early cold snap, you should mow your lawn once more as soon as you see that genuinely persistent cold has arrived. This usually happens in late October or November for much of temperate North America.

When the weather gets cold, many people do nothing with their lawns but let them go dormant and wait for temperatures to warm up again in the spring. Yet, you can prepare for winter with these simple steps from Bradley Mowers. If you take care of your lawn now, it will be healthy and vigorous in the spring and summer, giving you better growth and fewer weeds.

Rake Leaves

The first step to preparing your lawn for winter is to rake any fallen leaves. Raking leaves helps prevent mold and mildew from forming on the grass, which damages the grass and makes it more difficult for the turf to recover. Dispose of raked leaves by composting them or putting them into a paper bag with holes so you can use them as mulch around trees or bushes.

Mow and Edge 

The last mow of the season should be a little lower than usual. Cutting lower will help protect the crowns of your grass plants from freezing temperatures. Adjust your mower's settings so grass blades are approximately 1-1/2" long. Edge along sidewalks, driveways and flower beds to give your lawn a clean look going into winter.

Aerate the Lawn

Aerating the lawn is essential in preparing for winter. It lets oxygen, water and nutrients penetrate the roots, promoting healthier growth. Aerate your lawn using a garden fork or a core aerator machine. Do this before the ground freezes over. You can overseed after aeration, which entails planting extra grass seed to encourage fuller grass and cover dry places.

Test Soil and Fertilize

Another step for readying your lawn for winter is to test the soil. Testing will help you determine what nutrients your lawn is lacking. Once you know what your lawn needs, you can fertilize it accordingly. Be sure to use a fertilizer that contains slow-release nitrogen. A slow-release fertilizer will help your lawn stay green and healthy throughout winter. The best time to fertilize warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda grass, is early spring if you live in a warm climate.

When to Winterize Lawns

Depending on your location, you may need to prepare your lawn for winter as early as September. You should start the process when daytime temperatures are below 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The goal is to give your grass a chance to grow before the cold weather sets in.