1. Blow out your pipes

Getting your irrigation pipes ready for winter is an important step not to skip. When water is left in irrigation systems and freezes, it expands which can cause breaks and cracks to occur. These issues, if unnoticed, can be the cause of inefficiencies in your irrigation system that could cause dry spots in your lawn. Breaks and cracks can also be very costly to repair.

Getting your pipes ready for winter includes: draining water out of the manifolds and backflow preventer, and pushing air through the pipes and heads to displace residual water. There are many great resources online to help you do this. Many sprinkler supply brands and university extension websites have reliable information to help you out.

2. Cut WAY BACK on your water

Many of us may think that we need to add extra water to our lawns right now. Secondary irrigation water is going to be turned off soon and we need to make sure our grass is well hydrated before that happens.

False!

Almost all turf varieties in Northern Utah are cool season grasses, meaning they thrive when the temperatures decrease and require much less water to stay green and healthy. Cutting back on how often you water or turning your sprinklers off altogether will encourage your turf’s roots to grow deeper, making it more drought-tolerant for next summer. You will want to make sure that trees and shrubs are well watered going into the winter months if we’ve had a dry summer.

3. Put down a high-quality fall fertilizer

Fall is probably the most important time to fertilize your lawn. Make sure to use a high-quality complete fertilizer (one that has nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) before it snows. This will not only keep your lawn nice and green throughout the fall, but it will also help it green up quickly the following spring. It will also increase your turf’s cold tolerance, helping it better survive freezing temperatures.

4. Give your lawn a buzz cut

If you’re well-versed in turf research done by universities throughout the country, you probably know that it is best to let your grass grow a little taller in dry climates. Two and a half to three inches is considered ideal in order to maintain a healthy lawn that shades itself, staying cool and needing less water.

The last time you cut your lawn for the year, you’ll want to cut it considerably shorter — about 1.5 inches tall. This will help prevent any diseases that can occur due to your lawn laying down and decaying under wet snow.

5. Cut spent perennials down to the ground

To cut or not to cut? This question is common among gardeners that are trying to get their yards ready for winter. There are some things to consider before rushing out with pruners. Most perennials don’t mind being cut to the ground in late fall once they have properly died all the way back after several hard touches of frost. Doing so can help your yard look neat and tidy through the winter and minimize the amount of work to be done in spring.

Consider leaving plants that offer food and shelter to birds and other wildlife. Also, consider leaving plants that add interest during the winter months. Grasses can add interest, but the taller varieties often get knocked down after the first snow storm, cutting them back to two or three inches will help your yard look well-kept.

6. Tuck those vegetables in for the winter

There are some things you can do now to make vegetable gardening next year more manageable. High soil quality makes almost every aspect of gardening easier and fall is the perfect time to till organic matter (leaves, dying plants, old produce) into your soil to decompose over the winter.

If you don’t have a traditional garden but use raised gardens or containers instead, consider taking that organic matter and putting it in a compost pile to be added to your garden soil next year. Tilling or turning your soil can help you to more easily manage problem insects, such as slugs and grasshoppers, by destroying eggs that overwinter in plant debris.

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