Give Your Lawn a Gift, Maintain It This Winter

Holiday Feature

DENTON — You even remembered Aunt Emma’s pet terrier this holiday season. But did you remember your lawn? Although it may be winter, working with your lawn now will help it look fantastic come spring.

“A lot of people think there’s not much they can do in the winter with their lawn,” said Bobby Trevino, landscaping supervisor for Texas Woman’s University. “But winter is really a good time of year to do any major landscaping.

“The ground is usually moist, so that gives the root system for new shrubs and trees a chance to really establish themselves. Winter also is a good time to prune many shrubs. You can do a lot of trimming and the shrubs will really come back nicely in the spring.

“Mid-January is the best time to start working with rose gardens and pruning roses,” Trevino added.

Continued lawn maintenance, including mowing, over the course of the winter helps ensure a healthy lawn in the spring. Using a mulching mower to work grass clippings and leaves into the sod means your lawn will have vital nutrients it needs during the winter. Mulching leaves also means no need to rake, bag and have bushels of organic material taken off to the landfill.

“I don’t rake at all at home,” Trevino said. “I mulch everything.”

How frequently you mow in the winter will depend on whether or not you over-seeded your lawn. “A lot of people are over-seeding so their lawns look nice during the winter,” Trevino said. “But if you over-seeded, you’ll need to mow maybe twice a month.”

And although evaporation from heat isn’t a problem in the winter, lawns, shrubs and trees sill need to be watered. “Weather will determine how much watering you need to do, but plants still need moisture.”

Also, watering landscaping plants before a freeze can help protect the plants. A well-watered soil will absorb more solar energy during the day than dry soil. That heat will reradiate during the night, helping the plant.

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For Further Information Contact:

Roy Kron
Director of News and Information
Tel: (940) 898-3456
e-mail: rkron@twu.edu