Wintertime means time to pull out jackets and scarves and bundle up!!! But what does winter mean for your lawn?

Let’s take a look at what happens during the cold winter months with your lawn.  A common myth is that your lawn stops growing during the winter.  That couldn’t be more false.  With the top growth, the leaf blades that we can see growth does slow down, however, there are a lot of things going on with your lawn under the surface that you can’t see.  Below the surface, turf is actively growing.  It is growing laterally.  This lateral growth is crucial because lateral growth strengthens the turf’s root system.

One of the initiatives that Heron takes in the winter to promote this crucial lateral growth is winter treatments that include a double application of potash.  This double application of potash makes the winter treatments some of the most crucial of the year. Potash strengthens the root system, which helps the lawn’s capacity to withstand drought, disease, and pests at the onset of spring.  With all these natural stress inducers, a strong healthy root system can make the difference in having a healthy lawn that thrives in the spring or not.

The potash applications performed during the winter months are also critical in preparing your lawn to be able to withstand drought conditions during Spring.

Last winter, lawns throughout Central Florida experienced severe frost damage.  A strong root system makes the lawns less susceptible to frost damage and easier to recover and thrive in the spring.  Much like bears bulking up to hibernate for the winter, your lawn stores nutrients in the roots during winter to take full advantage of them in the spring.  As the lawn stores up these nutrients to use in the spring, Potash stimulates lateral growth under the ground making grass stronger and healthier.

Pre-emergents are another important ingredient in winter treatments.  Pre-emergent applications of herbicides are very important not only to prevent winter weeds from emerging but also to prevent the summer annual weeds and keep them from emerging on your lawn earlier.

The winter applications will protect your lawns and get them ready for the onset of spring. In short, winter applications can mean the difference between your lawn being severely compromised by cold weather, and your lawn suffering little or no stress and blossoming green & plush as the spring and summer arrive.