Your lawn may not need as much attention in the winter as it does in the spring, summer and fall but it still needs a little TLC. There are a few steps to take to ensure your lawn is healthy and in good shape come springtime.

Before the first frost arrives, make sure your lawn has been aerated. Aerating your lawn will give air, nutrients and water a chance to get to the roots before the first cold snap arrives causing everything to go dormant. Aeration also will help relieve any compaction in the soil that has built up. When your soil is compacted, it causes the roots of your grass to have to work harder to grow due to the lack of proper air and water intake. This in return has a negative effect on how healthy your lawn will be.

Speaking of nutrients getting to the roots. Before the first frost is also a great time to fertilize your lawn. Fertilizing now gives the roots of the grass a chance to absorb and store up nutrients that it then tap into come springtime. Those stored up nutrients give your lawn a head start to becoming lush and green. When you have healthy grass roots you are helping to prevent weeds, diseases and pests from invading your lawn once the warmer months arrive.

Another good thing to do for your lawn during the colder months is to keep it clean. What do I mean by that? Keeping your lawn clean means keeping it free of debris, especially leaves. Leaves that are wet and left on the lawn are a breeding ground for bacteria, diseases and homes for all sorts of pests. Leaving wet leaves on the lawn can also suffocate the grass before winter even arrives.

Another step to take is to try not to walk on your lawn too much after the first deep freeze or frost. If you are anything like me, I am a creature of habit and tend to do the same things the same way each day. Try not to walk the same path in your lawn everyday. Doing so can weaken even the strongest of grasses. Which will make it even harder for your lawn to recover once the warmer months arrive.

The last and probably the most important step to preparing your lawn for the winter is to have a plan for your lawn before the first frost arrives. You want to leave yourself enough time to set your plan into action before that first frost hits.

Having your winter lawn care plan ready by following the few simple steps outlined above will help you achieve a lush, green, healthy lawn come next spring.