The lawn is an element of landscape design, very beautiful, but at the same time requiring constant attention. You need to care for the grass not only in summer and spring, but also in autumn. At this time of year, it is necessary to feed the planting, mow, mulch and carry out some other activities.

Stages of preparing your lawn for winter

To prevent the grass from freezing in winter and damping off in the spring, in the fall you need to:

• Add fertilizer to the soil.
• Mow the lawn.
• Clear it of “felt”.
• Ventilate and repair.

Application of nitrogen fertilizers

They begin preparing for the winter cold with feeding. In early autumn, not too strong and concentrated fertilizers are applied to the lawn. This type of fertilizing improves the color of the grass and stimulates its growth. It will be especially useful for lawns that are weakened and affected by summer drought. But you need to add nitrogen to the soil carefully, trying not to overdo it. Otherwise, the grass will grow too actively, spending a large amount of “vitality” on this, which, of course, is extremely undesirable before the onset of cold weather.

Application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizers

In the fall or preparing the lawn for winter - activities that involve performing procedures aimed primarily at strengthening the grass and strengthening its root system. If nitrogen fertilizing is not necessary in the autumn, then phosphorus compounds must be added to the soil without fail. Fertilizers of this type help strengthen the root system and the growth of lateral shoots. It is best to use superphosphate to feed the grass.

Preparing the lawn for winter includes such activities as adding potassium fertilizers to the soil. This type of fertilizing increases the grass’s resistance to various types of stress. Therefore, its use in the fall is also more than justified. Among other things, the increased potassium content in the soil will protect plants from diseases and improve the ability of their roots to absorb nutrients. Thus, the grass will overwinter well and will quickly grow in the spring. The lawn is usually fertilized. Ordinary wood ash, which contains a huge amount of this substance, will also be very useful. Sometimes in the fall, or is also added to lawns. This helps improve the structure of the soil and its chemical composition.

However, the easiest way would be to apply concentrated lawn fertilizer to the soil in September, intended specifically for autumn use. It is an optimally balanced mixture of potash and can be purchased in a specialized store.

How to apply fertilizers correctly

When carrying out such a procedure as preparing the lawn for winter, in particular applying fertilizers, you need to follow some rules. It is highly not recommended to fertilize the soil on a dry lawn. Before applying fertilizer, it must be thoroughly filled. After this, wait a day until the grass dries. The soil underneath should remain moist.

When applying fertilizer, it is important to try not to burn the plants. Therefore, preparing the lawn, shrubs and trees for winter by adding fertilizers to the soil should be done using special tools. The grass is usually fed using a spreader. You can purchase such equipment in the same store where you buy the fertilizers themselves. A day or two after fertilizing, the lawn must be watered. This is necessary so that the composition is well absorbed into the ground.

At the beginning of November, the grass is mowed for the last time. This operation is necessary in order to prevent the development of fungus; moreover, the mown grass is less likely to damp out. When performing this activity, it is worth raising the lawn mower blades higher. There should be grass left on the lawn that is at least 7 cm long. By the onset of stable cold weather, it will grow to 10 cm. It is this length that will allow it to overwinter with minimal losses. Of course, lawn mower blades must be well sharpened. Otherwise, the grass can be damaged, thereby weakening it before the winter cold. Only thinned, drought-stricken lawns are not mowed in the fall.

Cleaning the grass

Preparing the lawn for winter is an event that includes, among other things, such a procedure as freeing it from matted remnants of old grass (felt). To do this, you just need to go through the planting with a rake. When performing this procedure, it is important to try not to damage the root system. In fact, clearing the lawn of felt in the fall is not a necessary operation, but it is still worth doing. In this case, a similar event in the spring will be easier to complete.

Of course, during leaf fall, you need to rake all the fallen leaves from trees and shrubs from the lawn. The easiest way to do this is either with a special rake with flexible “teeth” or with a regular garden broom. Suitable for both chili (not erased) and with soft plastic rods. The lawn must be cleaned. Rotten foliage can provoke the development of various kinds of infectious diseases. Today, special equipment (“vacuum cleaners”) designed for collecting fallen leaves on the site is also available on sale.

Ventilation and repair

When performing a procedure such as preparing the lawn for winter, it is important to provide the grass roots with an influx of fresh air. To do this, the lawn is pricked with a pitchfork according to a 1.5x1.5 m pattern. Very thick grass can be slightly thinned. Next, the planting needs to be mulched, covering it with a thin layer of coarse sand or peat-sand mixture. If necessary, the lawn should be repaired first. Areas with diseased grass, if any, are treated with fungicides. Foundationazole is very suitable for this purpose. The voids and bald spots in the lawn should be replanted with new grass or simply covered with ready-made turf.

How to care for your lawn in late fall and winter

Next, we’ll look at how to preserve your lawn in winter. Proper preparation and care are also necessary after snow falls outside. At this time, the grass first of all needs to provide good air flow. Very often, after a thaw, a thin ice crust forms on the surface of the snowdrifts - crust. It must be removed with a rake or shovel. The fact is that a lot of carbon dioxide accumulates under it, which is certainly harmful to the grass.

You can walk on the lawn and ski and sled on it. But only when the snow cover reaches a thickness of 20-25 cm. To prevent the lawn from freezing, in some cases it is necessary to arrange snow retention in late autumn. Sometimes the opposite happens - the landing skids very much. In this case, the snowdrifts are scattered in winter. Otherwise, in the spring, when too much snow melts, the grass may dry out.

Well, now you know how to care for your lawn in the fall, or prepare your lawn for winter. By completing all these simple measures, you can prevent freezing or damping off of the grass on your site and completely preserve it until spring.

A neatly trimmed lawn serves as an excellent frame for flower beds, rock gardens and trees. The thick grass cover contrasts with the bright flowers. To keep your lawn in order, you need to periodically fertilize it, fight weeds, water it and mow it. It is important to choose the right moment for the first mowing of the grass and to know when to mow the lawn for the last time before winter, so that it does not freeze and grows well next spring. The result is a harmoniously designed corner of the garden.

Basics of proper lawn care

The timing and frequency of mowing the lawn are determined by its purpose (English, sports and recreation area), grass variety, soil characteristics, lighting, and other growth conditions. The best place is sunny, sheltered from the wind, not too humid, where the snow melts quickly in the spring. With regular feeding, the grass grows well, but it needs to be mowed all the time, otherwise it will turn yellow and not look very aesthetically pleasing.

Timely first mowing of young grass

Seeds are sown in April–May. The first shoots appear ten days after sowing. When they reach 8–10 cm, you can mow the lawn for the first time after planting, cutting off the ends by 2–3 cm. You should not delay mowing: cutting the grass “starts” the tillering process and increases resistance to diseases. Most weeds cannot tolerate low mowing and do not have time to produce seeds.

It is recommended to mow tender young grass by hand: with a scythe, a sickle, or cut with scissors, so as not to pull out tender plants by the roots. The earth is compacted. If the area is large and you can’t do without a mower when you have to cut the lawn for the first time, then the knives should be very sharp. There is nothing to worry about if you have to step on the grass - crushed plants recover well.

The trimmer must be powerful

Perennial lawn care

A perennial lawn needs careful spring cleaning (when the snow melts). The ground is cleared with a rake from last year's vegetation, leaves, and other debris. Uneven areas are covered with compost soil, and trampled areas are additionally seeded. When you are going to mow the lawn for the first time, the grass should be dry and the soil should be moist. The frequency of mowing is affected by the growth rate. Usually a mixture of several types of ornamental grasses is used. Plants must be:

• perennial;
• frost-resistant;
• forming dense turf;
• decorative;
• low-growing (if you want to mow the area less often).

Green carpet - a connecting element for all parts of the garden

Regular mowing and aeration of the soil

Depending on the growth rate and weather conditions, the grass is mowed after 5–14 days until autumn (from May to September). In this case, a height of about 5 cm is left. A small amount of cut grass does not need to be removed, using it as an organic fertilizer. After each mowing, especially on dry days, abundant watering is necessary.

Continuous mowing:

• helps maintain a neat appearance;
• promotes tillering;
• protects against excessive evaporation of moisture;
• inhibits weed growth.

For small or complex areas, an electric trimmer (with a fishing line or knife) is used; for large areas, gasoline wheeled lawn mowers are used. To penetrate water into the soil, soil aeration is carried out. To do this, use a pitchfork to pierce the ground 10–15 cm and lift the turf. After the procedure, the lawn should “rest” for a couple of days. Aeration must be carried out during the period when you need to mow the lawn before winter.

Aeration is carried out in spring or autumn

Preparing your lawn for winter

By the fall, reduce the amount of nitrogen-containing fertilizers so that the plants will slow down by the time the lawn has to be mowed before winter. They water less often, and at the end of September they stop watering completely. The last mowing occurs at the beginning of October (you should mow 1–2 cm higher than in summer). If there is not much mowed grass, then it is left to create a protective layer, evenly distributed throughout the area.

The last time you mow your lawn is often dictated by climate anomalies. Too warm an Indian summer allows the plants to stretch out, and mowing has to be repeated. You can’t not mow at all - the grass will lie down, and in the spring its compacted layer will prevent fresh shoots from breaking through. It is ideal if after mowing the plants still have time to grow a little.

Lawn care is quite simple, but if the area is large and you don’t have time, invite professionals who will make the lawn a decoration of the garden.

The lawn on your property is like the carpet in the living room - rich and bright evokes admiration, but withered and uneven it is unlikely to affect guests, and even yourself, with anything other than regret.
Growing a lawn yourself is a labor-intensive task that requires patience and responsibility, since it depends only on you how healthy the lawn will be and how thick the grass will grow, as well as how it will withstand wintering under the snow.
In order not to lose your lovely lawn with the cold weather, which undoubtedly took a lot of effort and effort, it is necessary to provide high-quality lawn care in the fall, thereby preparing it for winter.

A few rules for lawn care

Undoubtedly, the main work falls in the spring, this includes cleaning up the garbage accumulated in winter, repairing bald spots and decorating lawn edges, however Autumn lawn grass care can significantly ease spring chores, protecting plants in cold weather, which is the most unfavorable and dangerous for them.

Lawn care in the fall includes: mowing the grass, fertilizing, watering and aerating the soil.

Autumn lawn care

The above procedures with the lawn are usually carried out in September and October - before the onset of frost.
Over the summer, everyone probably got used to mowing their lawns almost weekly; with the arrival of autumn, the lawn needs mowing less and less - the soil cools down and the plants slow down, however, you should not completely stop mowing the lawn. When the cold weather finally arrives, the regrown grass will wither and form an unnecessary layer through which spring shoots will not be able to break through - this is the main reason for mowing the lawn before wintering.
Of course, autumn lawn mowing mainly depends on the weather; if the warm temperature lasts long enough, then there will be more work, but early frosts, on the contrary, can be harmful. On average, it is recommended to make the last mowing of the grass about two weeks before the cold weather. Since the weather is sometimes beyond the control of even weather forecasters, don’t worry, cut your lawn as the grass grows, leaving it about 5 centimeters high, so the plants will not spend too much energy on recovery, leaving all the nutrients for the winter.
Mown grass will be an excellent source for humus next season.

An integral part of autumn work is feeding with minerals, including phosphorus and potassium - they promote root formation of plants. It is best to fertilize the lawn in the evening, and immediately water it after fertilizing. It is best to stop applying fertilizers containing nitrogen in August - they enhance the growth of green mass, but with preparation for winter this becomes useless.
Watering during the fall also depends on the weather; if the weather is dry, then you need to water the lawn once every five days, avoiding large accumulations of water in the form of puddles, and if you are lucky with rain, then you can completely forget about manual watering.
It is recommended to stop watering in October, otherwise you can over-moisten the soil, which threatens the plants with weakening and even disease.

We carry out aeration

When it is trimmed, thoroughly clean it of mowed grass and fallen leaves; such cleaning will save your lawn from fading and protect it from excess moisture that is created in the layer of plant residues during the rainy season. The most convenient tool for this task will be a rake, which will not only provide cleaning, but also lift the grass after cutting.

The most important procedure during the fall will be aeration, which is simpler - piercing the turf with a garden fork. Of course, if possible, you should use a walk-behind tractor with special attachments or an aerator. Aeration is carried out so that after the end of heavy autumn rains, water freely passes into the deep soil layers, and does not cover the surface with an ice crust. It is recommended to pierce the lawn in dry weather, so you can do this in September.

Repairing the lawn

Despite the fact that many people prefer to leave lawn repairs until the spring, some preventative work can begin in the fall. Of course, reseeding young grass should not be done due to the high probability of frost, and it is still more convenient to do this in the spring. But the autumn time is perfect for leveling the surface of your lawn using a mixture of sand and leaf humus. The mixture should be poured into small holes, compacting the sand. The general area of ​​the lawn can be sprinkled with a mixture of peat and dry compost - this will help increase the fertility of the soil, which will be depleted over the season.

• Do not step on the lawn in frosty or rainy weather, and carry out all work by walking on previously laid boards, and not on plants.
• Until the lawn is covered with snow by at least fifteen centimeters, try to reduce any load on it.
• Never throw snow from the paths onto the lawn.
• The crust that forms on a snow-covered lawn during a thaw should be broken with a rake to supply oxygen to the plants.
• Don't make a skating rink on your lawn.

Types of lawns (video)

There are many types of lawns and varieties for sowing, some are suitable exclusively for sporting events - they are tough and less likely to be trampled; park and meadow, they are distinguished only by the type of grass, and what kind of lawn will be on your site depends only on you and your imagination.

Meadow lawns are usually suitable for large and open areas, most often used in parks and forest parks, but such a choice would also be appropriate in a summer cottage. For sowing, usually choose from three to five types of grasses: creeping and tender wheatgrass, foxtail, timothy, bentgrass and meadow fescue, adding a little clover to the mixture. Often, a meadow lawn can be established by improving the natural grass stand by removing weeds, loosening the soil and seeding additional cultivated grass mixtures.
The Moorish lawn is a bright flowering lawn that has an attractive and very solemn appearance. This lawn has the most complex composition, since it includes up to fifteen species of perennial grasses and annual flowering plants. Fescue or meadow grass, bentgrass and perennial ryegrass, or other low grasses are usually used as the main background, but English experts believe that bentgrass or fescue seeds should certainly predominate in grass mixtures. From the beautifully flowering annuals, the shortest species are chosen. Flax and annual poppies, delphinium, daisies, Chinese carnation, annual and calendula are perfect. It is best to assemble a set that is comfortable in specific conditions.
Moorish lawns are mowed after spring plant varieties bloom, around July. And the last haircut is carried out no later than October. Of course, everything depends directly on the set and flowering and plants.
In order to grow a perfect lawn, it should take three to five years, you should treat it with careful care, and then in the end you will get a beautiful lawn.

A well-groomed lawn is a decoration for a personal plot. It’s worth taking care of it in the fall and taking a number of necessary measures so as not to restore it again in the spring. Preparing your lawn for winter will help not only preserve its decorative appearance, but also improve its quality, reduce financial costs, time and effort for its arrangement in the future. Caring for lawn grass is not difficult, but a number of agrotechnical measures must be carried out. Then the green lawn will overwinter with minimal losses and in the spring it will delight you with friendly green shoots.

The importance of autumn care

Autumn is an important season for taking care of your green space. It is necessary to use the last months of the growing season to strengthen and prepare the green cover for winter. The bulk of lawn work occurs in the spring - cleaning up debris accumulated in winter, repairing bald spots in the grass. The effort and time spent caring for your lawn in the fall and preparing for winter the following spring and summer will result in improved quality and health.

The main stages of work include:

• cutting (mowing) grass;
• cleaning of autumn plant and any other debris;
• soil aeration work;
• soil recharge;
• treatment with herbicides against weeds;
• reseeding grass if necessary;
• if required, remove moss.

The main goal of autumn work is to ensure rapid restoration of the green area in the spring. All work must be completed before the first frost. Additionally, the amount of work your fall lawn requires depends on the wear and tear it experiences during the summer months.

Features of winter mowing

Lawn grass requires constant attention throughout the growing season. As daylight hours decrease and temperatures drop before winter, its growth rate slows. Therefore, in the autumn months, the greenery of home lawns needs to be mowed less frequently, and the cutting height when mowing the lawn in autumn can be raised, but not higher than 8 cm. The optimal height is 5 cm. If you “guess” the timing of the work, the stems will have time to recover before the start of winter , frosts, but will not grow. Parterre landscaping allows a height of 4 cm.

Before mowing, thoroughly clear the area of ​​leaves and branches. If this is not done, then they will begin to rot under the snow, forming bald spots by spring.

Is it necessary to mow the grass?

The main purpose of grass removal is to ensure the spring friendly growth of fresh greenery in the mow. If you leave it without mowing for the winter, in the spring it will freeze and become lethargic, half-decomposed, and will behave like mulch, trapping young shoots under it.

Another argument in favor: the load on grass roots cut down before winter falls, and they have time to prepare for it and survive without loss. Unmown long stems under the snow cover die and partially rot. This not only prevents the growth of young greenery in the future, but also attracts many rodents in the winter.

As an alternative to mowing, some lawn owners practice spring burning of last year's grass. Although in the future young greenery grows quickly and amicably on the ashes, the method itself is risky: without monitoring the spread of fire, there is a risk of destroying valuable plantings. And having mowed the lawn once in the fall, in the spring you can achieve a similar result with respect to young seedlings.

When to mow the lawn before winter

Some difficulty in choosing the last time to mow the grass is as follows:

• if you mow the lawn too early before winter, the grass will have time to grow back before the cold weather sets in, “pulling” nutrients from the roots and not giving them the opportunity to prepare for the winter;
• Delay in mowing can result in the lawn freezing.

The best time to mow the grass so that the remains have time to harden before winter, and new greenery does not grow back, is two weeks before permanent frost sets in. You can “catch” the right moment by monitoring weather forecasts in a specific region.

Aeration and its importance

Carrying out work to aerate the lawn allows air to more easily reach the roots, and water to penetrate deeper into the soil, without stagnating on the surface in the form of puddles during the autumn rains and then ice crusts in winter. Only sand-based lawns do not require aeration.

The work itself involves piercing the turf and lifting it slightly, as a result of which the lawn takes on a “disheveled” appearance.

Piercing can be done with a special device - a lawn aerator, but you can get by with a garden fork: they make punctures at a distance of 20-35 cm from each other to a depth of 20 cm. An even simpler device is special attachments with spikes attached to shoes. So work on aerating the lawn comes down to walking on it.

After aeration measures, try not to walk on the “raised” lawn for several days. After the first rains, the upper part of the soil will settle “in place” on its own.

If you prepare the soil in this way, it will overwinter, recovering, and in the spring it will be filled with moisture and air as much as possible.

Watering and fertilizing

Naturally, lawn watering is reduced in the fall. They are carried out only when the soil dries out - if the weather is warm without precipitation for a week. The best option is sprinkling. In any case, care should be taken to ensure that due to the uneven surface of the lawn, puddles do not accumulate on it. This leads to rotting of the grass in these places, and after the formation of an ice crust - bald spots.

Fertilizing with mineral fertilizers in the fall will ensure friendly and rapid growth of greenery in the spring. Potassium and phosphorus have a positive effect on root formation. Nitrogen stimulates the growth of green mass, so those who are interested in highly decorative grass coverage in the autumn months can recommend complex fertilizer formulations that include nitrogen components. The color of the grass will be emerald green all fall, but there will be more work to mow the growing stems.

Some landscapers recommend the autumn application of deoxidizers - chalk or lime flour - into the soil, considering this beneficial for the health of both the grass itself (increased acidity delays the absorption of nutrients by the roots) and the plantings located next to the lawn.

Deoxidation will also allow you to more effectively fight moss and weeds. Fertilizers are fed to the lawn soil one and a half months after applying deoxidizers.

Do I need shelter for the winter?

There is no need for mandatory shelter for the winter period if the autumn lawn care activities have been completed in full and the “winter” rules are followed:

• before snow falls, the area is completely cleared of plant debris that provokes the development of dampness, decay, and disease;
• snow is not removed from the lawn area;
• Before the formation of a snow layer at least 30 cm thick, try not to walk on the lawn. Maximum - clear paths if necessary;
• When a dense crust forms - a crust of ice on top of snow - it is broken with an ordinary rake to provide oxygen to the soil.

If you decide to cover your lawn in winter, the composition of the mixture depends on the characteristics of the soil. It is optimal to use peat, sand and soil taken in equal proportions. A mixture of peat and dry compost will at the same time eliminate some of the hassle of enriching depleted soil.

Timing of pre-winter preparation in different climatic zones

To determine the date of the last grass cutting and other work that allows you to prepare your lawn for winter, you should focus on the weather forecast for a particular region. Taking into account that the optimal time for this is half a month before the onset of stable frosts:

• in areas with a temperate climate, including for lawns wintering in the Moscow region, pre-winter work should be carried out in late September-early October;
• in the southern regions - at the end of October or beginning of November;
• in the northern zone, Trans-Urals and Siberia - in the second half of September.

A set of simple measures carried out on time means time saved in the spring for the restoration and repair of the lawn, improving its appearance and improving the health of the grass surface.

A neat, well-groomed green lawn will give your suburban area a finished look, highlight and make other decorative elements of the area brighter and richer: trees, a pond, flowers, shrubs, alpine slides. The lawn needs constant care throughout the warm season. With the arrival of autumn, your grass carpet needs to be properly prepared for winter. We will tell you what and how to do this in this article.

Do you even need to prepare your lawn for winter?

It would seem - why? This is ordinary grass, which in natural conditions overwinters well without any preparation. All this is true, but we are talking about lawn grass, which is more “delicate”, and if you do not take care of the lawn in the fall, then in the spring it may “please” you with numerous bald spots, or the grass will have to be re-sowed. This is especially true for lawns that are awaiting their first winter.

Required tools and materials

• Lawn mower or walk-behind trimmer.
• Garden forks or aerator.
• Fan rake.
• Fertilizers - about 3 kg per 100 sq.m.
• Lawn grass seeds for overseeding

How to prepare your lawn for winter

At the beginning of autumn, in September, when the summer heat subsides and sufficient rainfall falls, it is not necessary to regularly water the lawn. But if September turns out to be dry, you can water the lawn using the sprinkling method. Remember that moisture evaporates much worse in autumn than in summer; do not allow puddles to form in the grass.

Every experienced gardener begins to prepare his lawn for winter from the beginning of September. Preparatory work is carried out until the first frost. At the beginning of October, it is recommended to completely stop watering the lawn to avoid the accumulation of excess moisture in the soil. If this is not done, the grass may weaken, become diseased, and die.

last lawn mowing

As all lawn owners know, in the summer the grass has to be cut almost every week. When autumn comes, the earth begins to cool, plant growth slows down and this procedure does not have to be carried out as often. But you can’t neglect mowing your lawn before winter. If the grass grows a lot, then with the onset of frost it will freeze and lie on the ground. In the spring, this carpet of dead plants will be difficult to remove and will greatly interfere with young shoots. Therefore, lawn care in the fall includes mandatory grass cutting.

The most suitable mowing height is about five centimeters. After this, within a few weeks the lawn will grow by 2-3 centimeters. This height of grass cover is best suited to preserving strength and nutrients for the upcoming winter.

It is quite difficult to guess how many times you will have to mow your lawn in the fall. If you mow your lawn in early September, the grass will likely grow back and will have to be mowed again. Or the opposite situation is possible, when early frosts strike and you do not have time to mow the grass for the winter. In the northern regions of the country, it is best to mow the lawn for the winter around the end of September, in the middle zone at the end of September - beginning of October, in the south - in the middle and even the end of October.

It is better not to throw away the cut grass, but to use it as fertilizer. Thus, you will solve the problem of recycling grass mass, and at the same time reduce the amount of spring work in the garden or garden bed. If you follow the general recommendations of experienced gardeners, the last mowing of the lawn should be done approximately two to three weeks before the first frost in your region.

feeding

In order for plants to quickly recover from winter frosts and begin to grow steadily, they need to be fed with mineral fertilizers. As for the composition of fertilizers, there is no consensus. Some gardeners recommend fertilizing the lawn in the fall using phosphorus and potassium fertilizers. We can agree with them, since phosphorus and potassium stimulate root formation of grass. Others advise using nitrogen fertilizers to promote rapid development of green mass. Ideally, it is necessary to combine all these types of fertilizers in the right proportions.

It would be a good idea to feed your lawn with nitrogen fertilizers throughout the summer. This will help deepen the color of the grass so it won't fade before frost.

It is also recommended to use deoxidizing agents - limestone flour or chalk. This will benefit not only the lawn, but also the nearby plantings. It is best to choose a dry and windless day to feed the grass.

soil aeration

It is strongly recommended to include aeration in the complex of preparatory work. Aeration, or airing the soil, has a very good effect on the condition of the lawn. It should be noted that aeration in the summer is undesirable. The optimal time for ventilation is early or mid-September. The essence of this work is very simple - holes or cuts are made in the soil, thus ensuring free access of air and nutrients to the roots of the plants. Soil aeration can be done in two ways - piercing and piercing.

In the first case, the soil is pierced to a depth of at least 8 centimeters. For work, you can use regular forks or a mechanical aerator. Piercing the soil is quite difficult work and takes a lot of time. Therefore, it is advisable to do piercing only in those places where puddles do not dry up for a long time after watering, or where the grass dries out in hot weather.

Spinning is used to improve turf, the fibrous layer of which inevitably becomes denser over time. To do this, lightly disturb the turf to a depth of no more than 4 centimeters.

Piercing is done using two types of aerators: with solid teeth or an aerator with cutting plates. Impaling is carried out over the entire area of ​​the lawn in dry weather.

soil mulching

Over time, the soil on your lawn becomes uneven. The reason for this is regular intensive watering, mechanical stress and seasonal temperature changes. As a result, the soil loses nutrients necessary for the normal development of plants. The grass becomes faded and loses its original rich green color. To maintain the “health” of the lawn at the required level, mulching is carried out - the lawn is sprinkled with a mixture of peat, sand and fertile soil for the winter. Mulching is most often carried out simultaneously with fertilizing. This will save time and increase the efficiency of both procedures. Mulching allows you to increase the turf layer, so that the grass begins to grow better and the soil is protected from drying out. This type of protection is very important for your lawn.

The mulching procedure is best carried out in late September or early October. The composition of the mixture depends on the soil. If the soil is clayey, then the mixture of sand and peat has the following proportion: 1:4:2. For loamy soils the proportion will be 4:1:2. All ingredients must be dry. The mixture is evenly scattered over the surface of the lawn at the rate of 1.5 kg per 1 square meter. m.

protection against moles

And at the end of our publication, we want to remind you about such a danger to the lawn as moles. The fact is that by autumn a large number of insects and larvae appear in the soil, which provide an excellent treat for the mole. Several of these nimble animals can thoroughly “plow” your lawn in a short time, nullifying all our efforts. Therefore, you should not wait until the first mole appears on your lawn, but stock up on the necessary repellents and traps in advance.

We hope that after reading this material the question “how to prepare a lawn for winter?” won't bother you anymore.