4 steps to winterize your lawn and garden – FOX4 (video)

NTMWD WaterMyYard Water University FOX4 News

Colder temperatures signal time to winterize your lawn and garden. Denise Hickey from NTMWD and Patrick Dickinson from Texas A&M’s Water University was at FOX4 this morning to tell people how to winterize their lawn in four easy steps.

Most people don’t realize that their grass goes dormant in the winter, which means that you probably don’t need to water your lawn at all during the winter months. As much as 50% of water waste is from outdoor water usage such as over-watering, leaks in the irrigation system, and broken or misdirected sprinkler heads.

The WaterMyYard tool uses real-time weather station data in your area to determine how much you should water your yard. Each week, subscribers get a text message or email with details on whether to water or not and how much to water. It’s a great way to manage your water bill and use water more efficiently.

NTMWD WaterMyYard Water University FOX4 News4 Steps to Winterizing Your Lawn

  1. Fertilizer – Fertilize your lawn in late fall before the weather gets too cold.
  2. Raise mower deck – Learn how to raise the deck on your mower to increase the height so you don’t mow off the brown grass in the winter. That top layer of brown grass insulates and protects your lawn in the winter.
  3. Pruning – Don’t prune too early. Wait until late winter or early spring (February – March) and only trim off the dead, brown growth where it meets the new green coming up. For perennial grasses (a great drought tolerant choice), trim them 4-6 inches off the ground and you’ll have a new plant growing every year.
  4. Soil testing – Send a baggie full of soil to the team at Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension Service and they will test your soil to give you customized profile of the nutrients in your soil to help you choose the right fertilizer for your lawn.

For more information and valuable resources on lawn and garden care and best watering practices, visit the TAMU AgriLife Water University website.