At Quality Tree Service, we understand that Medford citizens love their lawns. With relatively warm seasons and temperatures dropping to freezing in Oregon’s winter, keeping up your lawn is a year-round process. Obviously, winter lawn care will not require as much work from you as during the summer, but there are several steps you can take to ensure your lawn returns strong and vibrant in the spring.
Dormant Grass
Because of the climate in Medford, our lawns experience a robust warm season followed by several freezing points during the winter. Grass goes dormant, its color fading to brown. This warm season lawn requires very little of you; however, if you want a year-round lawn, you could over-seed with a perennial or annual grass such as ryegrass before the first frost hits.
Weeding
If you have a lawn with a lot of weeds, you will need to continue mowing in winter. Set your mower to the usual height for cutting. Most weeds you see will die in the face of repeated mowing. Make sure you use a bag attachment to prevent reseeding the weeds. Pro tip: go get your new 2018 calendar and mark September as the time to use a pre-emergent herbicide to cut down on winter weeds.
Simple Care
Be mindful of where you walk during winter. You do not want to walk on a lawn that faces a hard freeze or snowfall. If you must walk on the lawn, vary your path to protect turf-grass crowns. If you don’t, your lawn will have bare spots in the spring.
Regarding the leaves, if you were unable to clear all of them before the snow got here, watch for a temporary thaw, and get it done then. These leaves will kill off turf crowns and could cause snow mold to grow in your lawn, further damaging it. Be very careful when raking, especially on moist soil, so you don’t pull up your grass. On that same 2018 calendar, put notes in the fall months reminding you to pick up all the leaves before the first snow arrives.
These simple steps can help you have the lawn you want come spring. For more help or to schedule your spring lawn maintenance, give Quality Tree Services of Medford a call today.
