Preparing your Texas lawn for winter involves more than just raking leaves. Learn the essential autumn tasks that protect your grass during dormancy and set up a healthier spring recovery in Big Spring and surrounding areas. To learn more, visit https://www.johansenstx.com/
You know that feeling when spring arrives and your neighbor's lawn looks like a golf course while yours looks like a patchwork quilt? That difference gets decided right now, in autumn, when most people have already mentally checked out of lawn care season. Let's talk about what actually needs to happen between now and the first freeze to keep your Texas grass healthy through winter. This isn't about achieving perfection—it's about avoiding easily preventable damage that costs you time and money come March. First up, fertilizing. Your last feeding of the year is probably the most important one, and the timing is tricky. You want to apply fertilizer about four to six weeks before your grass goes dormant. In West Texas areas like Big Spring, that usually means late September through early October. The key is choosing a fertilizer with higher potassium content rather than nitrogen. Potassium strengthens roots and improves cold tolerance. Nitrogen pushes leaf growth, which is exactly what you don't want right now. Next, let's talk about watering. This is where most Texas homeowners waste money. If you're still running your summer irrigation schedule in October, you're overdoing it. As temperatures drop and growth slows, your lawn needs significantly less water. Cut your watering frequency in half by early fall. Monitor rainfall and skip scheduled waterings after it rains. And don't forget to winterize your irrigation system before the first hard freeze. Burst pipes are expensive and completely avoidable. Aeration is another autumn task that makes a real difference. Compacted soil blocks water, air, and nutrients from reaching your grass roots. Core aeration pulls small plugs of soil from your lawn and creates channels for deeper penetration. Schedule this for early fall when your grass still has time to recover before dormancy. Water thoroughly the day before so the aerator can pull deeper plugs. Here's something most people overlook—your final mowing height matters. Don't cut too short, thinking you're getting ahead of spring work. Scalping your lawn exposes soil and crowns to cold damage. For most warm-season Texas grasses, a final height of about two inches works well. Keep your mower blades sharp too. Torn grass blades are more susceptible to disease as winter approaches. The team at Joehansen Landscape & Nursery has been helping Big Spring area homeowners prepare their yards for winter since 1977. They understand the specific challenges that West Texas lawns face, from alkaline soil to temperature extremes. If you want professional guidance on getting your yard ready for dormancy, check out the link in the description to learn more about Joehansen Landscape & Nursery's services. Johansen Landscape & Nursery City: Big Spring Address: 700 Johansen Road Website: https://www.johansenstx.com/