Lawns rest during the winter months. Cool and warm-season grasses lie dormant, waiting for warmth, moisture, and sunshine to appear in spring. Although grasses lie dormant, the same can not be said for weeds and invasive species. Some careful attention helps prevent their unruly spread.

Weeds, frosty weather, snow, and debris may also pile up on the yard and require attention. We’ll clear these objects and recycle them for other uses around your garden. 

Some gardeners are lucky! Warm gardens in hardiness zones 9 through 12 may have living yards year-round. Continue treating these lawns normally with standard mowing and care tasks during the winter, but hold off on fertilizing until spring warmth arrives. 

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7 Winter Tasks for a Healthy Spring Lawn

When frosty weather causes them to enter winter dormancy, these seven tips will help you care for the grass in its most vulnerable state. 

Protect Frozen Grass 

Frozen grass isn’t dead! You’ll see frozen dew on the foliage during cold, winter mornings. The frost won’t immediately kill the grass, as it’s incredibly resilient. Footprints or pressure on frozen grass is what kills it. 

When someone walks on a frozen lawn, they crunch all of the ice shards into the grass, puncturing dozens of tiny holes into the blades. These wounded blades turn yellow and brown, forming dead patches by spring.

Don’t worry if you accidentally step on your frozen yard! Simply find grass seed to sow after spring warmth arrives. The footprint patches will die, but new seeds ensure that fresh grass grows in their place. Gather the seeds now to avoid dealing with hectic spring rushes and out-of-stock inventories. 

Pull Pesky Weeds

Dead patches, dormant grass, and ample weed seeds create the perfect conditions for promoting weed growth. Winter weeds like annual bluegrass, dandelions, and popweed sprout in bare spots where sunlight reaches the soil. Weed seedlings are easy to remove when young, so careful persistence now helps avoid excess work later on. 

Wet or frozen yards are challenging to weed. Step on them, and you’ll damage the grass! Wait for a relatively warm, dry winter day before pulling weeds. That way, your footprints won’t harm the dormant blades.

Winter is ideal for removing perennial weeds like dandelions, hairy cat ears, and invasive grasses. The moist, soft soil creates the perfect conditions for pulling weed roots up and out of the ground. Instead of snapping long, thick dandelion roots in half, you can pull all of them out to avoid resprouting. Try using a tool like the CobraHead weeder to help snag those pesky roots. 

Mulch Fall Leaves

Some gardeners deal with hundreds of fall leaves in fall and early winter. Deciduous trees dump their leaves after they change colors, creating piles of brown, orange, yellow, and red debris throughout your yard. Although these leaves seem like a nuisance, they decay into nutrients for your grass!

Use a mower with a mulching feature to help facilitate their decomposition. Most mowers have a mulch plug you can put in place of the collection bag. This causes grass and leaves to remain under the blades, where the sharp edges slice the debris into a million pieces. 

The tiny leaves and debris fall between living grass blades, contributing valuable nutrients to the soil. Sometimes, excess leaves create thick mats that prevent the grass from growing. Simply use a rake or leaf blower to distribute the pieces evenly throughout the yard.

Clear Debris

Winter storms are common during the cold season. Strong winds, frequent rain or snow, and heavy branches cause debris to form below large trees. The lawn may have piles of twigs, leaves, or heavy branches. Remove this debris carefully to avoid damaging frozen or excessively wet grass.

Some gardeners experience frequent, heavy snowfall during the winter. It’s best to let the snow lie on top of the lawn. Cold areas have frost-resistant species that resist freezing temperatures, and the snow acts like an insulating mulch that keeps the grass warm. Remove it and you’ll expose the sensitive blades to harsh storms.

A little debris is okay! Small twigs, leaf pieces, and thin stems boost lawn performance. They decay into valuable nutrients. They also form structured particles that help the soil drain excess moisture.

Aerate the Lawn

Lawn aeration is beneficial but not necessary during the winter—it’s better to aerate lawns in early spring to promote drainage and allow the roots to access more air. Aerate your lawn in the winter if it really needs it. Otherwise, leave it until spring. Compact soils that gather puddles are good candidates for winter aeration. 

Choose a warm, dry day to aerate the lawn, and avoid doing so on frozen or soggy sites. Wait until the blades thaw and the ground grows relatively dry. Then, use a lawn aerating tool to poke holes throughout your lawn. 

Some different tools give you options for aerating. Choose a core aerator for wet or moist sites, as it helps facilitate better drainage. You’ll stand on it to press it down, then pull up on it to lift it out. Rolling aerators are another option. They’re easy to use on even soil; you push them and they poke holes as they roll. 

Sharpen Mower Blades

Beat the spring rush and take your tools into the shop during winter! Not only will the shop owner appreciate the business, but you’ll avoid dealing with the large crowds in warm months. In areas without local tool shops, try big box home improvement stores. They often have tool sharpening services.

You may also sharpen the lawn mower blade yourself! This requires a metal file or an electric grinder to turn the dull blade into a sharp one. First, put on safety glasses and gloves to avoid injuries. Then, remove the blade and clean it off any debris. Clamp it down in your workshop, then prepare your metal file or grinder.

Sand the blade a few times to get both sides sharp, but not razor-sharp. It should be about as sharp as a butter knife. After sharpening, check the blade to make sure it’s level, weighing an even amount on both sides. Screw it back on, apply some oil, and let it run!

Sharpening your mower blade is an important task—it helps prevent dieback, diseases, and dead patches. Dull blades cause large wounds on the turf that invite diseases. Keep these pathogens away by sharpening your mower blade every winter. 

Prepare Fertilizer

In the same vein of preparation, gathering fertilizer and pH adjusters now allows you to spend more time gardening when the days warm in spring! Don’t apply it to your lawn yet—winter applications can cause burning, scorching, and yellowing. 

The best fertilizers for lawns are organic ones rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. A little extra nitrogen is beneficial, as it helps the turf grow green, thick, and perky. Pellet-style fertilizers work well since they’re easy to distribute. Powder and liquid ones work well too, although they require additional tools to ensure an even distribution.

You may start applying fertilizers from March onwards, depending on your growing zone and last average frost dates. Wait until after the last average frost dates to apply fertilizer, then water the site thoroughly to help permeate the nutrients and avoid leaf burn.