We just received the last lawn care treatment of the year from our TruGreen® lawn care specialists this past weekend.  Much of the focus was feeding the lawn (our lawn is Fescue) and preparing it for the upcoming winter months.  In the Upstate area of South Carolina, we are usually fighting warm and cold days through October and in to November.  The hard winter months, tend to dig in from December through February with March becoming a transitional periof from Winter to Spring.Â
Winter can be a stressful time for your lawn and landscape.  Low temperatures, ice and snow cover and the incorrect cultural practices can impact their ability to quickly recover when spring arrives.  While we can’t control Mother Nature, there are things you can do to help your lawn through these cold months..
- Remove leaves from the grass before they become matted down to prevent your lawn from being smothered.  If not removed, a matted covering of leaves will limit the light, moisture and air your turf receives, negatively impacting its ability to survive.  This is especially important in areas that get snow.
- Avoid walking on your grass when areas are frozen or a heavy frost is present.  This can cause damage, which may result in an unsightly appearance in the spring.Â
- Apply a layer of mulch around your trees and shrubs. Â Mulch acts as a form of insulation during the winter months. Â Pay special attention to any plants that are located in windy areas as these are especially prone to drying out.
- During cold months, trees and woody ornamentals benefit from the application of Dormant Oils.  These are used to eliminate mites, aphids and scale before they damage new growth in the spring.
- Your lawn and landscape may need to be watered periodically through-out the winter months.  Winter winds and lack of moisture can cause the lawn to dry out and decline. Warm season lawns (Bermuda, Zoysia, St. Augustine and Centipede), may not need additional moisture since they are dormant and require only small amounts of water to survive during the colder months.
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