While your lawn may not require as much care in the winter as it does in spring, summer, and fall, you don't want to ignore it completely. To ensure it will be in good shape come springtime, you'll want to take the following steps.

Aerate & Fertilize

Just before your area's first expected frost date, head out to your lawn and aerate. If you've never aerated before or need a little reminder, check out How to Aerate Your Lawn. Aerating gives your lawn a chance to breathe before the grass goes dormant, and helps relieve any compaction that has built up during the warmer months.

After you've opened up your lawn, it's a good time to fertilize with Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Lawn Food. Fertilizing your lawn gives your grass the essential nutrients it needs as it prepares for winter. The grass roots absorb and store the nutrients during the winter months. Then, in the spring, your lawn taps into those stored nutrients giving it a head start, making it green and lush. By having a properly cared-for lawn, you'll also help prevent weeds, pests, and diseases from moving in once it warms up.

Keep Your Lawn Clean

There's a good chance that leaves have piled up on your lawn during fall and because of that your lawn could suffocate before winter. Leaves that are left on the lawn could also become too wet, which can invite disease. If the leaves are not too thick or wet, mulch the leaves with your mower into dime-sized pieces to recycle the nutrients back into your lawn. If the leaves are too thick, wet, or matted down, rake them up and remove them.

Also, be sure to remove lawn furniture and debris from your lawn, as well as any spare logs from next to the fire pit.

Avoid Too Much Lawn Traffic

When your lawn is frosted or dormant, try to avoid walking on it too much. Even strong grass can become weak if the same path is walked over too many times.

Treat Ice Wisely

Try to keep driveways, walkways, and sidewalks clear of ice and snow so you will have a safe and clear path to walk. Apply Scotts® Eco-Blend Snow & Ice Melt to all of these areas to clear them of snow and ice. The all-natural blend is enhanced with a green color indicator for monitoring application and a corn-based liquid to ensure maximum performance. 

Prepare While You Can

Finally, make sure you have your winter lawn care plan in place well ahead of time. Once there's a chill in the air, keep an eye on the forecast and leave yourself enough time to put your plan into action before the first frost arrives.