A Lawn in Winter
By Mary Giambalvo, Master Gardener
Generally, plants I trouble to grow must provide food, fragrance, or
flowers. I confess, however, to
maintaining a kerchief-size lawn that gives me little more than a soft place to
kneel while weeding and a site to showcase gopher hillocks. Still, I need a touch of turf in my life.
It is true, though, that sweeping lawns prevail in most American neighborhoods,
replete with competition for most lush and best clipped. To some, that might mean intense watering,
fertilizing, weed-killing and buzz haircuts year-round. The result can be downright unhealthy for the
lawn and the environment.
Winter in
Fertilizing lawns in winter defeats nature’s rhythm, stimulating new growth
long before it should happen. With
Bermuda grass, this can even bring on spring dead spot disease, creating large
bare areas. Should there be a cold snap,
a winter-fertilized lawn will be more susceptible to frost damage as well - new
growth doesn't like the cold.
During our winter rainy season, applying fertilizers and weed killers to our
lawns tend to result in excess run-off, not only wasting the products but
polluting our ground water and creeks as it flows into streets and gutters and,
finally, our water supply.
In the
While my wee bit of grass will never win a garden prize, it gives me what I
need - a spot of green on which to recline in summer and much needed time off
in winter.
For additional assistance in caring for your lawn and garden year-round, visit
the following online site: http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu/specials.ihtml