As the cool weather starts to roll around here in Iowa, your grass prepares to enter winter dormancy. There are a few maintenance tasks you'll want to get done before the winter weather arrives to ensure it has everything it needs to survive the season and into the spring. First, cut your grass a little shorter the last two times of the year so that fungus and diseases have less of a chance to infect it during the winter. Leaves and debris can suffocate your lawn, so it's best to pick everything up so it can get all the nutrients and resources it needs to survive. Finally, give your lawn one last heavy watering to help strengthen its roots. Continue reading to learn more about how to prepare your lawn for winter dormancy.

Mow your lawn shorter for the last two times to prepare it for winter dormancy.

Our client in Indianola, IA mowing his lawn in preparation for winter dormancy.

Before your lawn enters winter dormancy, you’ll want to mow it a couple more times. However, for the last two mows, you’ll want to cut the grass shorter in preparation for the winter season. This is to prevent things like fungus and bacteria from making a home in your grass during the winter. Fungi and bacteria can cause lawn diseases, which can be detrimental to your turf. You don’t want to find out that it has a fungal disease come spring, so it’s best to prepare your grass now to save yourself the hassle of getting rid of it later.

It's best to cut your lawn down to about 2.5 or 3 inches tall before the winter.

Prepare your lawn for winter dormancy by raking up the leaves.

Our client in Waukee, IA preparing her lawn for winter dormancy by raking up leaves.

Leaves and debris can make their way onto your lawn during the year, and it’s important you rake them up before the winter rolls around. Things like leaves and debris can suffocate your grass and prevent vital resources like water, sunlight, and air from reaching its roots. Grass needs all the nutrients and resources it can get before entering winter dormancy so it can survive the cold weather. It's best to rake your lawn in the late fall to prepare it and give it the best chance of surviving. After all, your grass will be stronger and healthier come spring when it's able to get the nutrients and resources it needs in the fall.

Give your lawn one last heavy watering before winter dormancy.

Our client in Bondurant, IA preparing his lawn for winter dormancy by heavily watering.

Your lawn will stop growing in the winter, but it still needs one last boost of hydration before it enters winter dormancy. So, be sure to give it one last heavy watering so that the roots are getting the hydration they need to thrive. Healthy roots are the foundation of your lawn and key to strong growth, so this is an important step in preparing it for the winter. Not only that but deeply watering it will promote further root development, leading to thicker, greener grass once spring rolls around.

Call us today to schedule our lawn maintenance services!

We know how important it is to have a beautiful and healthy lawn year-round, which is why we offer our lawn maintenance services! Here at A+ Lawn & Landscape, we offer several different lawn maintenance services to keep your lawn in tip-top shape. Some of these services include mulch installation, fall yard cleanups, and more! If you need help preparing your lawn for winter dormancy, just give us a shout and we'll help however we can.

We offer our lawn maintenance services to residential and commercial properties, as well as HOAs, in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, and the nearby areas in Iowa. Call us at (515) 289-2020 to schedule our lawn maintenance services today!