Albuquerque Lawn Winterization Steps to Live By

When the leaves begin to change colors in a riotous display, something emerges from its hiding place. It has spent the past three growing seasons dormant behind your lawn mower, but it is now ready to spring into action and lend a hand in winterizing your Albuquerque lawn. It is the leaf rake that you own.

But is it necessary to remove the layer of leaves accumulated on your grass and go through the steps involved in winterizing your property? Or would it be better to let Mother Nature take care of it, allowing the leaves to decompose into the grass, which would help boost the grass’s growth in the spring?

Cool and warm-season grasses are susceptible to death when exposed to low temperatures. The plant goes into a semi-dormant state when the temperature drops, but it is still susceptible to damage from ice crystallization. The grass blades and roots are more susceptible to damage than other parts of the lawn; however, if the meristematic regions of the plant, which are the growing points of the plant that produce stems, leaves, or flowers, are not damaged, the lawn will recover the following year.

Types of grass that bounce back quickly after exposure to low temperatures:

• Kentucky rough bluegrass
• Creeping bentgrass
• Timothy grass
• Bluegrass Canada
• Colonial Bluegrass
• Bentgrass
• Redtop Bluegrass

Types of grass that struggle to survive in environments with low temperatures include:

• Perennial ryegrass
• Manita grass
• Bermuda grass
• ryegrass native to Italy
• Centipede grass
• Carpetgrass
• St. Augustine grass

Instructions on how to get your grass and garden ready for winter

Rake

After your children have jumped in the piles of crunchy leaves and kicked the rest around the yard, you will need to determine whether or not it is essential to rake the leaves and dispose of them. The grass that lies beneath is still green and is trying to absorb as much light as possible to get ready for the colder months ahead. They do this by ingesting as many nutrients as possible before hibernating for the winter, just like bears. The removal of the leaves opens up the plant so that it can receive light, water, and air. Leaves tend to compact, and because of this, they do not make an ideal mulch for perennial flower beds.

The leaves can be beneficial to your lawn if they are mowed and mulched into small enough pieces to be composted. The decomposition of leaves contributes organic matter to the soil, which is almost always an improvement. If there are a lot of leaves and you want to reseed your garden in the fall, you should move the shredded leaves into the garden to add some healthy organic matter there.

Determine the pH of the liquid.

Before applying any fertilizers to your lawn, you should get the soil tested at the local extension service or home using a home tester. This should be done before you add any fertilizers.

To prevent your grass from becoming unhealthy and thinning after the summer’s use, it is essential to monitor the pH levels of the soil regularly.

Get rid of any weeds or plants that are taking over.

You may encourage weeds’ growth when fertilizing because of the added nitrogen. Take care of those annoying weeds before winter, so they don’t have a chance to take over the yard and make it look much worse than it already does. Utilize the recent rains to your advantage by getting down to the roots of the weeds and pulling them out while the ground is still moist.

Fertilize

Lawns cultivated on sandy soil or in regions that receive a lot of rainfall may require the addition of potassium. The test results will show you if your soil needs to be fertilized. If your potassium levels are sufficient, you generally won’t need to break out the spreader and feed your lawn with any more nutrients.

As early as the late summer, garden retailers begin to stock up on winterized versions of the fertilizers. Most of these goods have relatively high nitrogen concentrations. However, since different grasses respond differently to feeding, it’s possible that some of them won’t like it. An excessive amount of fall fertilization could be detrimental to warm-season grass. It’s possible that the additional nitrogen could encourage shoot growth when the plant is actively trying to decrease its metabolism, which will result in a depletion of carbohydrates and stress. On the other hand, a fertilizer that is high in nitrogen and potassium may be beneficial to cool-season lawns.

Applying excessive fertilizer to a lawn may cause it to catch fire or throw off the delicate balance of the nutrients it requires. If you want to avoid the problem of salt burn on your grass, you should only apply granular fertilizer when the grass is dried. To reiterate, the guidelines based on your soil test results should be followed to grow a healthy lawn. Those worried about synthetic fertilizers’ environmental impact might choose to purchase organic lawn feeds from garden centers.

Aerate

During the winter, the temperature of the soil can have a more significant impact on the health of the grass and its ability to recover than the temperature of the air. To ensure that the plant’s crown tissues can begin the new growth process in the spring, it is necessary to safeguard these tissues. Aerating the soil in the fall can help you get a head start on a lush lawn because compacted soil stays colder than soil that is well-drained or loose.

The lawn suffers from the effects of compaction. A terrific technique to improve the root zone of the grasses in the lawn is to hire a lawn service or rent an aerator. Both options are available.

Cut It High

Raise the mower’s deck in the fall and cut at a high height, leaving longer blades behind. This will protect the grass structure and decrease the amount of direct heat that kills the plant. It is advisable to mow at a length of between two and three inches.

Overseed for Spring

The earth retains the heat from the summer far into the fall. The mild days and crisp fall nights are ideal conditions for germinating and establishing grass seeds. Therefore, right now would be an excellent time to sow cool-season grasses. The ideal temperature range for the germination of cool-season grass seed is between 50- and 65-degrees Fahrenheit; using a soil thermometer will assist you in determining whether or not your soil falls within this range.

Plant cool-season grass seed around four to six weeks before the day that the ground is expected to be frozen. Get in touch with the local extension agent for information on the best dates to plant in your area. Make sure you’re using good seed advice for your region.

Keep the seedheads of flowers that resemble daisies in the beds throughout the winter. Our winged friends are drawn to the seed heads of these plants in large numbers. As a final touch, sprinkle organic material on top of the beds. This can include the shredded leaves that you collected from your yard earlier. It is essential to avoid getting mulch on the stems and crowns of perennials, trees, and shrubs.

Summing it All Up

When you are in the market for Albuquerque lawn winterization, give the pros a call at R & S Landscaping. We can be reached at 505-271-8419.