Get a jumpstart on preparing your lawn for the chilly Toronto winter
Here in the GTA we have experience a dry, hot summer and have a predicted warm fall ahead of us.
These abnormal weather patterns have stressed out lawns to the max. Insect feeding, weeds and drought are all sources of stress that your lawn has most likely faced this year. It’s important to use the last few weeks of fall to prepare the lawn for what will most likely be another unpredictable Toronto winter. Following these steps will ensure your Toronto lawn is healthy and ahead of the game in the spring!
Thoroughly rake out any leaves, thatch and damaged grass. This will give your lawn more access to oxygen and sunlight, as well as decrease the chance of developing winter disease.
Continue mowing regularly until growth has halted. Raising the lawn mower height will promote deeper roots and increase your lawns winter hardiness. If the lawn is left too long, it can become matted beneath the snow and diseases such as pink and grey snow mould have an easier time developing. We want to stay away from these!
The best time for this application is usually mid-October to early November depending on the weather Toronto is experiencing. Roughly 1 lb of nitrogen per 1000 square feet is the recommended rate! This application will increase the lawn’s tolerance to freezing during the colder temperatures we are sure to experience. It will also help in greening up your lawn quicker and earlier in the spring.
What do these terms mean?
Winter disease: another name for snow mould, this is a fungal infection that faces lawns in the early spring time. The symptoms are usually quite visible as the snow is melting away, revealing brown matted sections of your turf. There are two types of snow mould that could be causing damage to your lawn, pink snow mould or grey snow mould. The issue generally lasts only for a couple of weeks, but ensuring that you rake out these areas in the spring will help bring your lawn back to life faster.
Thatch: as your grass dies over time, small parts of it fall down to the root zone of the turf. If this is in small amounts, it can be beneficial to the lawn but if it builds up it can become a barrier against water and air from entering the soil. To keep on top of the thatch, giving your lawn a good hard rake in the early spring will help loosen it up.