PestBear’s Blog
Maintaining a healthy lawn isn’t only about keeping it green. Fertilizing is just one piece of the puzzle. During the winter, it’s important to follow a proper watering schedule and take measures to prevent pests from making your yard their playground.
Mowing Frequency
Your grass might grow just as fast in the winter because the weather is milder and Florida still gets plenty of rainfall. Trimming your lawn regularly will make it less attractive to pests.
Don’t cut the grass too short, though. Set your mower at the maximum recommended height for the type of turf that you have. This will allow the grass to develop a healthy root system, which will help keep it healthy throughout the winter. To keep it under control, you might have to mow more frequently than you do in the summer.
Proper Fertilization
When it comes to fertilizer, you can have too much of a good thing. Fertilizing too frequently or too late in the season can harm your lawn.
You might not want to feed your lawn later than October. If your grass is in an active growth stage during the colder months, it will be sensitive to the lower temperatures. Your goal should be fullness, not height. Using fertilizer with too much nitrogen in the fall can contribute to fungal disease.
Watering
During the rainy season, you don’t need to water your lawn as frequently as you do in the summer. In fact, too much moisture can promote disease and encourage a pest infestation. Overwatering also keeps the root growth short, which hinders your lawn’s health.
In the fall, you can get away with watering your lawn only once or twice a week. In the winter, water it every 10 to 14 days.
The best time to water your lawn is in the morning. The water will have a better chance of sinking into the soil instead of evaporating from the midday sun. If you irrigate the grass too late in the day, your lawn may become more susceptible to disease.
Insecticide
Some insects can harm your lawn, while others can be a nuisance to humans and pets. Applying an insecticide at the right time of year can deter and kill grubs, fleas, ticks and fire ants.
If you’re not sure how to manage your lawn in the winter, contact PestBear today. Through our LawnBear service, we offer landscape care, weed and insect control and lawn disease treatments.