You may think that the colder weather means you can hang up your working boots and let your lawn take care of itself, but if you want a vibrant green lawn in the spring, there are some steps you should take now:

Fertilize

For a thriving lawn in the spring and summer, you should fertilize in the fall. If you live in the US, most grass is cool-season grass, which means it actually prefers being fertilized during cold weather. Because grass grows more slowly in the fall, fertilizing this time of the year helps to develop stronger roots. Be sure to fertilize before the first frost to get all of the nutrients lost during the heat back into the soil.

Keep it Short

You might think you can stop mowing because grass grows so much more slowly in the colder months. You should actually mow all the way through the fall, gradually cutting your grass shorter and shorter. In the winter, long grass gives pests like mice a place to burrow and prevents the sun from getting to the crown of the blade.

Don't Walk on It

It's not even easy to remind your kids to keep off the grass during the summer when the grass is pristine, so imagine how hard it will be when the grass is covered in snow. Even though the grass is brown, foot traffic can still cause damage.

Rake the Leaves

Autumn leaves may be beautiful, but you have to rake them up. They create damp areas in your grass that suffocate the grass and lead to fungal growth. You'll want to rake your leaves sooner rather than later because morning dew and rain make the problem much worse. If you have too many leaves to rake, fit a collection bag to your lawn mower and mow over the leaves.

Aerate the Soil

It can be hard for fertilizer, oxygen, and water to penetrate the surface of the ground and reach all the way to your grass' roots. To avoid this problem, before you do your fall fertilization, aerate the soil. You can either rent an aerator or hire a landscaper to do it. An aerator will rapidly punch holes in the soil to allow your fertilizer to get all the way into your soil.

For a lush lawn, it's important to take care of it year round. Follow these tips and ask your landscape services what fall and winter lawn services they provide. Contact a company like Wilson Garden Center & Landscaping for more information and assistance.