From removing toys and debris from your yard before the first snow to fertilizing before spring, there are many good tips to ensure that your yard is healthy and strong for the start of the next growing season. Here are five top tips to help you get the lush, grassy lawn of your dreams.

One of the most critical components of lawn care during the winter months and early spring is fertilizing. Cool grasses, which are some of the most prevalent types of grasses in lawns across the United States, do best when fertilized at the start of the winter. The timing varies based on your local climate and the season's conditions, but be sure to put the fertilizer down before the first freeze. This puts down a layer of fertilizer that adds vital nutrients to the grasses and gets absorbed into the soil, where it can steadily fertilize the grasses' roots throughout the dormant winter months.

While it's best to avoid letting the grass get too tall during the growing months, you should give the grass a nice short cut for the final mowing in fall. Leaving the grass too tall over the winter makes it retain heat, and in turn it becomes a target for field mice and burrowing rodents seeking a warm place to sleep. Mice and rodents tend to build nests in the yard, which creates dead spots and areas of patchy growth.

A third tip for late winter and spring lawn care is to make sure to pick up any objects on the lawn before the first grasses emerge. Objects will mat down the grass and prevent growth, which in turn creates dead spots and uneven clusters. After removing all objects from the yard's surface, sweep the grassy surface every few weeks throughout the winter to ensure it stays clean.

If there is a period of time in between snowfall, or if the winter in your area brings primarily rain, care for your yard as you would through the fall. You can continue to rake up dead leaves in the winter and even put down mulch and fertilizer. This will give the grass a head start in the early spring. Prior to the first frost, be sure to aerate the lawn before raking and putting down a layer of fertilizer, as you'll help air circulate and prevent grass from dying when it is covered with a layer of snow or ice that essentially prevent fresh air from reaching the lawn.

Finally, even though it might be enticing to walk across the yard when there's a fresh snowfall, keep in mind that foot traffic is still affecting the grass beneath the snow and ice. Walking over the yard repeatedly during winter, and especially when that involves making a path, can damage grass and stunt its growth in the spring. Also, don't allow cars and heavy objects onto the lawn, as they can destroy the grass's growth, even in winter. Allowing trucks and cars to use the yard as a makeshift parking lot may also contribute to the growth of weeds, which will in turn be problematic to deal with in the spring.

Top Grass Cutting Mistakes

Mowing the lawn seems like a simple task, but there is actually a method behind crafting that lush green lawn that the neighborhood will envy. From changing your mowing pattern to letting the grass grow in between cuttings, there are several key considerations to keep in mind from the first cut of the year through the last.

One of the best tips to keep in mind is to not cut the grass too often. As eager as you might be to keep the yard looking coif and trim, overdoing the mowing can actually backfire and make the grass less healthy. There is no set time that you should wait in between mowing, but a general rule of thumb is that you should not have to trim any less than a third of the grasses' new growth. The type of grass and climate in which you live are two factors that affect the rate of grass growth, and grasses will grow at different rates in the different seasons too. Grasses that traditionally grow in cooler climates should be trimmed to about 3.5 to four inches, while grasses that are native to warmer climates should be kept at a height of about one or two inches to keep looking their best. Mowing according to the type of grass in your yard and the seasons will keep the yard looking full, healthy, and lush.

In addition to mowing too frequently, many people make the mistake of mowing too much. The term for this is "scalping" the yard. Some people unintentionally mow the grass too short, while others purposefully mow low, thinking that if they shave down the grass blades then they won't have to mow as often. However, this technique accomplishes little more than leaving the yard vulnerable to drought and other adverse environmental conditions. It can also make the yard more susceptible to developing weed growth, which in turn causes a whole new set of problems to cope with.

Another common issue that can cause unhealthy grass is mowing right after a rain, or when the grass is wet. Cutting grass when it is wet is problematic for several reasons. For starters, grass blades tend to stick together when wet, which can result in uneven cutting and a sloppy appearance. Secondly, wet grass can get stuck in the mower and eventually cause it to clog. The wheels of the mower moving over the grass can mat patches of grass down too, which means that the grass will be uneven when it dries off and stands upright again. Lastly, the grass is slippery when wet, and mowers are more likely to slide around, especially if the yard has uneven surfaces or is on an incline.

Finally, recycling does wonders for the planet, even when it comes to lawn care. In the past, many people have bagged grass clippings for disposal elsewhere, usually in a compost pile. However, experts now recommend leaving the grass clippings in place as you mow. Leaving the mulch to rest on the grass makes it act as a mulch. Slowly decomposing clippings retain water, which negates the need for frequent watering, and it also preserves essential nutrients that make the grass healthy and vibrant.