Preparing Your Lawn for Next Spring

It’s never too early to start thinking about your landscaping for next year. In the fall, there are many things that you can do to help prepare your lawn for the next spring. In a few simple steps, you can help your lawn survive the cold Canadian winter and grow again in the springtime, as lush, healthy and green as ever.

Step 1: Clean & Clear Debris

Take a walk through your backyard and across your front lawn. Use a rake and landscape waste bag to remove any leaves, twigs, rocks, or other debris.

Step 2: Fertilize

Although it may appear that your lawn is not growing anymore, the roots will still be growing and absorbing nutrients. It’s crucial that you feed your lawn before the ground begins to freeze, to ensure that nutrients will be stored over the long winter. The earlier in the fall that you can fertilize your lawn, the better.

Step 3: Aerate & Seed

Is your lawn in need of some repair? Get it into better shape this fall and at the same time, prepare it for a long winter. First, aerate your lawn and then overseed. This can help to fill bare spots and thicken your grass overall. Fertilizing after aerating is especially effective, as the seeds fill the holes and thousands of new entry points created by the aerator.

Step 4: Cut and Water

Although it may not be growing as quickly as in the spring or summer, it’s important that you do continue to cut and water your grass. We suggest that you continue to mow your lawn until grass growth has halted altogether. It will also still need water, which can be provided naturally through rainfall or manually with a garden hose. If it hasn’t rained for at least five days, give your lawn at least ½ inch of water weekly to prevent it from drying out.

When the grass has stopped growing, give it one final mow of the season. Drop your blade down one level lower than your regular height to prevent matting, which can lead to mold. Once your final grass cutting is complete, you can move on to the final step, which is mower maintenance and storage.

Step 5: Lawn Mower Maintenance

After using your lawn mower to cut the grass throughout the spring, summer and fall, it will likely require a little TLC before you tuck it away for the winter. We suggest changing the oil, air filter and spark plug, and then cleaning the top and undercarriage to remove any dirt, debris or grass. Before you clean or work around the blades, be sure to first detach the spark plug for your safety.

Next, inspect the mower blade and clean. To do this, we suggest lifting on one side to clean away any dead grass clippings, and then doing the same on the other side. Never flip a gas mower over to clean the blade. If the blade is in good condition you can move forward to sharpen it. If it’s in rough shape or damaged, this is your chance to replace it. Lastly, fill the fuel tank and safely store it in a shed or garage.

Legends Landscape Supply

To create the front and backyard landscape of your dreams, visit or contact our experts at Legends Landscape Supply today. Our team of professional landscapers in Burlington can help you to plan, design and then bring your dream landscape project to life. For more ideas and inspiration, visit our image gallery or take a look at the many articles in our blog section.