Lawn care in the winter is probably not high on your to-do list right now, but there are some things you should do to maintain and protect your lawn from whatever the rest of this winter may bring our way.

Neglecting your lawn in the winter can come back to haunt you during the growing season. Here are some winter lawn care steps you can take to help protect your grass even after it has gone dormant:

Keep it Clear: Perform a weekly cleanup of your lawn to remove any debris that may have collected. Keeping your lawn free of leaves and other items is critical to maintaining your lawn’s health and appearance. Letting leaves and debris pile up creates a breeding ground for lawn fungus in the spring.

Reduce Traffic: Be sure you have dedicated walkways and encourage family and visitors to use these instead of walking on the lawn. Excessive foot traffic during dormancy, especially when it’s wet, can really damage your lawn.

Mow and Water: Mow a few times a month and if needed, supplement any rainfall with irrigation so your grass gets an inch of water per week.

Winter lawn care is important, but so is winterizing your landscape. Don’t forget about your ornamental trees and shrubs. They too can benefit from some winter protection. Here are a few steps to protect your landscape:

Water: Watering your plants before freezing temperatures hit can help to insulate them. Moist soil is much better at absorbing heat than dry soil.

Mulch: Mulch is another great way to keep your plants insulated. Adding a fresh layer of mulch helps retain moisture and stabilize soil temperatures, protecting your plants from the cold winter weather.

Cover: When our area is expecting frost cover your plants that are less hardy and more susceptible to freeze damage.

This winter season, don’t let the weather blindside your lawn that you have worked tirelessly on. Be proactive with your winter lawn care so you can feel confident your yard will be prepared when those freezing days hit. Performing these tasks now will help ensure a healthy, beautiful lawn in the spring.