Be proactive in lawn care during fall to make your spring easier. These are some tips to get your garden and lawn ready for winter.
Lawn Care Tips
Prune plants in fall
Some plants may become overgrown as the summer progresses. Your gardens will look much better if you deadhead them — remove spent flower heads – and they will be ready to overwinter. You can also increase the number of flowers next year by pruning and cutting back perennials in fall. Some plants prefer spring pruning. Mulching is also crucial.
Fall Lawn Watering
Even though autumn leaves are changing, your lawn still requires water. However, the growing season is ending and your grass isn’t growing as fast. Fall watering is important to help your lawn recover from the summer stress and prepare for winter. Watering is also important if fertilizing in the fall. This allows the fertilizer to dissolve into the soil and soak into the ground. Don’t forget to water your lawn until it freezes. Your fall grass still requires water.
Fertilize in Fall
Fertilizing Conway SC four times per year if you want the best lawn. Even if you don’t have the time or energy to fertilize four times a year, your lawn will still be great if you fertilize only in fall. Use a fertilizer labeled 4-1-2. These numbers indicate the fertilizer’s percentages of potassium, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Ask a local expert about the best fertilizer mix for your type of fall grass and soil conditions.
Three weeks before the last mowing, apply the fertilizer on your landscaping. The fall fertilizer provides nutrients and energy for the grass roots, which can multiply in cooler temperatures before they go dormant. The grass roots also store food for winter, giving it an initial growth spurt after it emerges from dormancy.
Winterize Garden Hoses
Sometimes, it is possible to forget to drain your garden hoses before you put them away for winter. It’s usually not a problem. Sometimes, however, freezing water can cause a hose to break open. It is possible to have to replace some hoses (or even a few) that are very cheap. It’s just a waste of money. Draining hoses is quick and easy. Use an air compressor to blast out water or stretch them on a sloped area or driveway.
Three Steps to Winterize Your Ride Mower
Take a few moments to ensure that your riding mower does not hibernate for the winter.
Corrosion can be caused by moisture in an unaltered engine. Fogging the engine, which is spraying oily mist into each of its cylinders to prevent corrosion, can be done. You can remove the spark plugs, then spray some aerosol fogging spray (available at auto parts shops). Next, reinstall your spark plugs.
A battery not fully charged can cause permanent damage, especially in colder weather. The battery should be connected to a charger and charged until it reaches 12.7 volts.
The fuel system can become clogged up over time from stored gas, which can lead to costly repairs. Add a fuel stabilizer like STA-BIL, Seafoam, to your gas tank before winter. It is also a good idea to add stabilizer year-round to your gas can. However, stabilizers won’t work in gasoline containing ethanol. Run the engine until you are sure the gas is clear.
Another tip: Protect the exhaust and air intake openings with aluminum foil or plastic wrap to prevent critters from nesting in your engine during winter.
Call Conner’s Lawn Care Service if you need help with lawn care.
Conner’s Lawn Care Service
Myrtle Beach, SC
843-504-4901
http://connerslawncare.com/
