Get Ready for Snow
Fall is coming to an end and winter is on its way. It’s already gotten much colder and if last year is any indication, it’s going to keep doing so. There are a few things you’ll need to make sure you do before the snow falls, so here’s a quick checklist for you to get on.
1. Blow Out Your Sprinklers
We talked about this last time, but it bears repeating. If you haven’t already done this, you need to blow out your sprinklers soon. Your sprinkler pipes are not buried deep enough to avoid freezing, and if they do, it’s costly and time consuming to repair them.
2. Put Away Your Hoses
To make sure your hoses don’t get ruined, you need to drain them and put them away. Unhook them from any faucets they’ve been attached to and roll them up. As you do, raise the hose up so that gravity causes any water inside to flow downward towards the end of the hose. This will clear out the water inside so there’s no chance of it freezing. Once you’ve got the hose emptied and rolled up, store it in your garage, or another place that is shielded from the cold air. It doesn’t need to be kept in a warm place, but you want it to be just a bit warmer than the freezing cold outside. This will keep your hoses from getting damaged over the winter.
3. Inspect Your Faucets
Once you’ve removed the hoses, inspect your faucets. You want to make sure that they aren’t leaking. Even a small drip is enough to freeze. Over time, the water builds up into thick layers of ice that can weigh down and damage the faucet. If the freezing backs up into the faucet, you might end up needing to replace it. A frozen faucet could lead to some unpleasant flooding once the thaw comes in spring. If you do find a leak, you’ll need to replace the faucet.
4. Clean Up the Leaves
A critical point to avoiding dead spots in your lawn is cleaning up the leaves. If the snow buries them, the leaves will sit and rot all winter long, creating hot spots that can kill the grass. Even if the hot spots don’t do it, the rotting leaves becomes a magnet for different kinds of mold and fungus that are also harmful to your lawn.
5. Put Away Anything You’ve Left Out
Once you’ve cleaned up the leaves, give your lawn a thorough once-over to make sure you haven’t left any tools, toys, or other items out. Leaving things out in the cold and snow is a good way to ruin them and buying new tools is expensive. The weight can also crush the new growth underneath the snow and create dead spots in your lawn. Even things that don’t seem very heavy can cause problems. Make sure you get everything you can find.
Get It Done Soon
Once the snow falls, it’s too late to do any lawn cleanup and by the time spring rolls around, the damage will be done. Don’t hesitate on this, as it can be impossible to predict when the snow will start to fall. If you’re short on time, get in touch with us. We can help you make sure your lawn is in good condition to survive the winter so it looks its best when spring finally comes. Get a hold of us today to schedule a time when we can come by.
