Just like all living things, your plants need food. This also includes your lawn. Preparing your garden and lawn for winter helps make spring easier on your garden. Proactive lawn care before winter helps aid in a stronger lawn come springtime. A lawn fed three to four times a year develops a deep root system able to resist heat, drought and wear for the next season. It also develops thick, green top growth to naturally resist weeds, disease and pesky insects.

It’s important to remember that plant roots tend to go dormant in the driest parts of summer as well as during the winter, especially when the ground is frozen. So, it’s important to focus on fertilizing in the spring and at the end of fall when plants need a hit of nutrients the most. But avoid applying fertilizer if heavy rain is expected or the ground is frozen.

When shopping for fertilizer, look for one with higher nitrogen (N) and potassium (K). Which are the first and last numbers on the label or bag. These are nutrients that help promote a stronger root structure, aid in disease resistance and hardiness that will help your lawn during hot summers or heavy snow and ice during the winter. These nutrients provide grass with the ability to withstand drought in hotter summer temperatures and to survive the winter and bounce back in spring. To prepare your lawn before winter hits helps give you a boost when spring arrives.

After you are done fertilizing your lawn, store any leftover fertilizer sealed in its original container in a cool dry place for use next season. You can also share by giving your neighbour or relative some help by fertilizing their lawn before the winter season! Your neighbour will thank you for a lush and thick green lawn when spring arrives!