Though most of Texas doesn’t typically experience heavy snowfall, without proper lawn maintenance, Houston area landscapes could still succumb to some of winter’s harsh effects. Fortunately, there are great ways to prepare your southern lawn with protective fertilizers that properly handle the colder months. Archer Services has provided a basic lawn maintenance guide below, that addresses why you should consider winterizing Houston lawns with ryegrass.
Drought Resistance
A lawn must build up some drought tolerance to make it through the relatively dry winter months. When a lawn is sown with ryegrass each year, it gradually allows the grass’ roots to grow through tough, compacted soil. Using annual ryegrass can help minimize soil prep during pre-winter lawn maintenance.
Erosion Control
Yearly ryegrass offers quick ground cover after most plants have died off for the season, which can provide additional erosion control. Ask a lawn care expert how to use ryegrass to prevent erosion during sudden downpours.
Reuse & Recycling of Nutrients
Prices are increasing for high-nitrogen fertilizers, and budget-conscious homeowners are looking for ways to maintain their lawns more efficiently throughout the winter. Annual ryegrass can provide from 60-80 pounds of nitrogen per acre. When customers save money on fertilizer, they can help to offset the cost of the grass seed and the rest of the winterization process.
A More Low-Maintenance Lawn
Along with improvements in soil fertility, winter ryegrass seeding helps to produce biomass that increases the soil’s organic content. When ryegrass is used as part of a winter lawn maintenance program, the soil is left readier for spring planting.
Weed Prevention and Control
Ryegrass is an excellent natural way to keep weeds in control, partly because the grass shares many characteristics with weeds. Annual ryegrass grows vigorously, and it can particularly form a cover that competes with and defeats winter weeds.
Increased Water Penetration
As said earlier, ryegrass grows deep roots, which can gradually penetrate tough soils. With this process, additional pathways are created, and water has an easier time getting down through the soil. This can be especially beneficial during the dry winter months, when watering may occur less often.
Winter Lawn Maintenance Tips
Most people don’t spend too much time thinking about their winter lawns. However, there are ways to ensure a lush, green yard once spring comes again.
- Fertilization: Late autumn and early winter are the right time to fertilize cool-season grasses. Before winter hits, hire a lawn care professional to fertilize the lawn and replace all the nutrients lost during a hot Houston summer. With this step, the yard will be ready for the spring growth season.
- Mowing: During the final weeks of summer, the lawn should be cut shorter with every service appointment. By gradually reducing the lawn’s height, the grass can more effectively withstand the harshness of winter.
- Keep things clean: It’s all too easy to leave things in the yard during the winter, when everyone tends to stay inside. Toys, lawn furniture, and even stray branches are easy to overlook, but it’s important to clear these things away during the fall and every few weeks during the winter.
- Keep off the grass: When grass is short, dormant, and brown, it’s easy to forget that it’s not to be walked upon. While ryegrass is somewhat resilient, it will have difficulty growing back if there’s a walking path worn into the lawn.
Getting Ready for Winter
Houston lawns don’t need much winter maintenance when they’re properly prepared during the fall season. An Archer Services lawn maintenance expert can mow, fertilize, and aerate your lawn before the consistent cold weather rolls in. Furthermore, we can plant hardy ryegrass to help the lawn get through winter and experience a more productive growth season. Contact Archer Services for more information at (281) 203-7615.
