Most people are very diligent throughout spring and summer to take steps to keep their lawns green and healthy. However, many people forget one of the most important steps; properly preparing for winter for a strong healthy lawn in the spring.

If you don’t do anything else, apply a winterizer fertilizer to your lawn. We consider this the most important feeding of the year. It gives your lawn nutrients to make roots grow deeper and survive until spring. If weeds are still plaguing your lawn, you can apply a product with weed killer and fertilizer in one. We carry several quality products from Ace, Scotts and Colorado’s Own to get the job done right.

If you have bare or thin patches, fall is a great time to seed. Lower temperatures help ensure that the new seed/grass won’t be scorched by the summer sun and there is generally enough time for grass to mature enough to winter over nicely and come back strong in the spring. Note: if you are seeding, do not use a winterizer with weed killer, it may prevent your grass seed from germinating.

Some other tips:

• Consider aerating your lawn. It will give those new, deep roots room to grow.
• Make sure leaves get raked and removed from the lawn before they get buried by snow and smother the grass. Or, if there aren’t too many, consider mulching them with your mower and leaving them on the lawn for an additional nutrient boost over the winter.
• Your lawn still needs water for several weeks (depending on the weather). Needs are significantly less than during the warm summer months, but if Mother Nature doesn’t give us about 1” per week, supplement with a sprinkler.
• Apply winterizer and then water. Better yet, apply before rain!