You might not want to hear this, but the first day of winter (Thursday, December 21) is approaching fast. While it’s tempting to delay outdoor chores until spring, your lawn, gutters, and patio won’t wait. As temperatures drop across Southwestern Ontario, now is the time to act. Taking care of your winter landscaping tasks today means a stronger, healthier yard when spring returns. Here’s how to get started.
Apply Winter Fertilizer While Your Grass Is Still Visible
Before your lawn disappears under a blanket of snow, give it one final nutrient boost. A good winter lawn fertilizer will support your grass through the cold months and promote vigorous regrowth in spring.
Characteristics of good winter lawn care fertilizer include:
- High nitrogen levels (the first number listed on the bag, identified with the chemical symbol N)
- Low levels of phosphorous (the second number listed on the bag, identified with the symbol P)
- High levels of potassium (the third number listed on the bag, it has the chemical symbol K)
If you have cool-season grasses (like fescues or bluegrass) on your lawn, they’ll really benefit from a feeding of winter fertilizer. That’s because mid-fall is their peak growing season. They’re hungry and ready to absorb all the nutrients and minerals they can. In turn, they’ll store that energy through winter and right into spring.
Keep Mowing Before the Snow Falls
If you’re wondering how long you should mow your lawn, the answer is as long as you can. Don’t stop mowing and watering your lawn as necessary.
That said, in the final few cuts of the season you’ll want to lower your mower blades to their lowest setting. This reduces the risk of winter diseases and allows more sunlight to reach the crown of your grass.
Doing this ensures that:
- More sunlight will reach the top (crown) of your grass
- There will be less clipping remnants to turn brown during the winter
- There is a lower risk of snow mould
One last thing: Even if there’s a light dusting of snow on your grass, you can still give it a final cut or two. Just skip it if heavy snow has already set in.
Clean Out Your Gutters and Eaves Troughs
This is one of the most overlooked but critical winter prep steps. Gutters clogged with leaves or debris can cause serious damage once spring comes.
What to check for:
- Wet leaves, pine needles, and organic gunk
- Animal nests or blockages
- Cracks, leaks, or detached segments
- Sagging areas that could break under snow or ice
Clean gutters help direct water safely away from your home, preventing basement leaks and ice dams. And let’s be honest—nobody wants to be up on a ladder in -20°C wind.
Winter-Proof Your Interlock and Patio Stones
Interlocking pavers may look sturdy, but they’re still vulnerable to Ontario’s harsh winter weather. Freezing and thawing causes expansion and contraction, which can lead to cracked or uneven stones by spring.
Prevent interlock damage with these tips:
- Sweep in fresh polymeric sand to reinforce joints
- Apply treated sand or eco-friendly ice melter as needed
- Ensure stones are level before the freeze sets in
Protect the investment you’ve made in your landscape design by winter-proofing high-use hardscapes before snow and ice take hold.
Pull Persistent Weeds One Last Time
Yes, you should do it again. Weeds may look like they’re fading now, but many of them will simply go dormant and return full-force in spring—unless you remove them by the root.
Fall weeding is important because:
- It prevents weed seeds from overwintering in the soil
- It reduces spring maintenance
- It helps keep your garden beds and turf zones looking neat
Focus on gardens, planting beds, and edges where late-season weeds tend to hide. A bit of effort now can save you hours of work later.
Book a Winter Lawn Care Consultation with Wright Landscape Services
Protect your property from the worst of Southwestern Ontario’s winter weather with timely care and expert guidance. At Wright Landscape Services, we offer fall and winter property maintenance programs to keep your lawn, garden, and hardscapes in top shape.
Serving homeowners in Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, and Guelph, we’re here to make sure your yard weathers the season and looks even better next spring. Contact us today to learn more.
