As we get closer to the end of the year, it’s time to start getting your home and lawn ready for winter. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts yet another cold, windy winter for Texas with a possibility of storms, though hopefully not as bad as last year.
With some careful planning and winterizing work in the fall, you can work ahead to get your lawn and home prepared for cold weather. By taking the time to winterize irrigation systems, power tools, and more you’ll have your yard all ready to weather the winter ice and cold.
Clean Out Your Irrigation System
Most North Texas homes have some sort of irrigation or sprinkler system. That helps keep lawns and gardens green, healthy, and growing during the hot summer months. But they do need some extra care before winter sets in. Winter temperatures in the Dallas-Fort Worth area rarely get below 25°F, but that’s more than cold enough to freeze irrigation systems if they’re not winterized.
First, shut off the water going to your sprinklers. You’ll need to shut off the main valve and any backflow valves installed in your system. Then, either turn off your timer or put it in “rain mode” so it doesn’t try to start your irrigation system up automatically.
Next, you need to get the water out of the sprinkler system so it doesn’t freeze. How you do this depends on your system. Some are designed for manual draining, letting you open valves that let water out. Others drain automatically if you turn on a sprinkler after shutting off the water. Finally, some systems have connections to hook up an air compressor and blow the water out of the system.
If you’re not sure which method your system uses, consult a professional for help. You can damage your irrigation system by trying to drain it in a way that it’s not designed for. Once the system is drained, insulate exposed parts of the system like valves and sprinkler heads to help protect them from the cold. Covering faucets and sprinklers or wrapping them with foam will help protect them from cold damage.
Rake and Use Fallen Leaves
Leaving fallen leaves on the lawn isn’t all that attractive. It also increases the risk that your grass will have mold or fungus grow in it over the winter. Fallen leaves also block sunlight from getting to the grass, which weakens the lawn further. That’s why it’s so important to clean up fallen leaves each fall as part of your winterizing schedule.
Leaf blowers or shredder/vacuums are the perfect tools for this job. To get the most benefit from your leaves, use a shredder/vac to turn the leaves into mulch. Then, you can use the mulch on your landscape beds. Leaves are full of nutrients, so they’ll improve your garden soil as they break down over the winter. They’re also good for insulating plans and helping protect them from cold temperatures.
Mow, Aerate, Fertilize
There’s some debate about what time of year you should aerate Texas lawns. The best time for aerating warm-season grasses, such as Bermudagrass and Zoysia, is when the grass is actively growing in April through June. For cool-season grass, like bluegrass or fescue, you should aerate in the fall as the weather starts to cool. If you skipped spring aeration, you may aerate warm-season grass in early fall if they’ll have a few weeks of warm weather for the roots to recover.
If you’re aerating in the fall, pick a day when the soil isn’t wet and the weather is mild. Use a core aerator (which removes plugs of soil from the lawn) rather than a spike aerator (which pokes holes in the lawn and can make soil compaction worse).
Whether you aerate in the fall or not, it’s a good idea to apply a top dressing of compost as your final fertilization for the year. Simply spread a thin layer of compost over the lawn surface and you’re good to go. If you’d rather not use compost, you can use a commercial winterizing lawn fertilizer formula instead.
Finally, as grass growth slows down, mow your lawn a little shorter than usual. If you normally cut your Bermuda grass so it’s 2 inches tall, for example, cut it down to 1 inch before putting the mower away for the season. It’s also a good idea to bag the clippings to get any last leaves and clumps of grass off the lawn. Remember if the winter weather is very mild, you may still need to mow every few weeks to keep weed growth down.
Control Winter Weeds
During some winters, you might find that cool-weather weeds grow up while your grass is dormant. When grass isn’t actively growing, it’s not able to keep weeds hidden or keep them from getting a foothold in your lawn.
For annual weeds, the best way to prevent them is to apply a pre-emergent herbicide before temperatures at night consistently drop below 60°F (typically late September or early October). If that window has passed, then you can hand-pull weeds or spot-treat them with a contact herbicide. Be sure to follow all safety directions on the label for any herbicide you choose to use.
Another option if your grass is still growing a little and there aren’t many weeds is to mow a few times during the winter. Whether or not you go with this option will depend on the weather. If it’s so cold your grass is dormant or if the ground stays either wet or frozen, then it’s not a good idea to mow.
Store Hand Tools Overwinter
Getting hand tools ready for storage is pretty simple. Just clean them using a wire brush to get off any caked-on dirt, then rinse them with water. Let the tools dry completely. Rub wood handles down with linseed oil or paste wax to keep the wood from cracking. You can also rub metal parts down with oil to help keep them rust-free.
Drain garden hoses, then coil them up and store them lying flat. For non-motorized lawn tools like certain types of spreaders and sprayers, clean them out and let them dry completely before storage. You can oil the metal parts for sprayers and spreaders to help keep them from rusting.
Get Power Equipment Winter-Ready
Clean power equipment before storage. Clean off any dirt or dried grass clippings, and make sure the equipment is dry. You can rub down metal surfaces with oil to help prevent rust. For battery tools, store the batteries at about half-charge. Keep batteries in the original container or a cloth bag, separate from the tool or the charger.
If you’re storing gasoline-powered equipment for more than 30 days without using it, then you need to make sure the fuel is either drained or stabilized. Fuel containing ethanol starts to attract moisture, which can corrode metal, and to damage plastic and rubber parts as it degrades in your engines. To prevent this, you can drain the fuel or add a fuel stabilizer to keep the ethanol from damaging your engine.
For pressure washers, follow the steps for cleaning tools and draining or stabilizing fuel. In addition, make sure you flush the pressure washer with clean water, then drain out all the water. Let the washer dry before storage.
Store all your tools in a dry place that’s cool but protected from frost. Don’t cover the tools in plastic since that can trap moisture. Rather, cover stored tools with fabric.
Use Power Equipment During the Winter
Some tools don’t need to go into storage over winter. Chainsaws and blowers might even see more use during this time of year, depending on how the winter goes. Unless you know you’ll be using the tool regularly, though, it’s still a good idea to add a fuel stabilizer. That’ll keep the engine safe even if you let it sit idle for a couple of months before getting it out for winter use.
Whether you’re using a chainsaw to clean up limbs taken down in a winter storm or for cutting up some firewood, there are a few things to keep in mind as you work during the winter. If your chainsaw has a winter/summer shutter, switch to the winter setting when the temperature is below 40°F. Check your owner’s manual to see if it recommends changing to a thinner bar and chain oil for winter cutting. Also remember to keep an eye on chain tension, as this can be affected by temperature fluctuations. Take breaks as needed to clean off any snow or ice that may build up on the chainsaw.
Any time you’re working outside during the winter, be extra careful of ice and snow. An ice storm can make working conditions much more dangerous. Wear boots with good traction and move cautiously. When working with chainsaws, wear protective clothing and exercise caution because frozen wood is more likely to splinter.
Conclusion
As we head into winter, you don’t need to let the cold and ice catch you unprepared. By winterizing your irrigation system and lawn equipment and performing fall maintenance for your yard, you’ll have your lawn and home ready to overwinter the chilly part of the year.
If you have any questions about winterizing lawn equipment, or if you want to get a professional tune-up for your tools during the off-season, Richardson Saw & Lawnmower can help. Our service department stays open over the winter. We’re always happy to answer questions or help you find just the right tool for your winter yard care needs.
