Green with envy
So, here we go again: an all-tooshort summer is drawing to its inevitable close and fall is looming.And what follows fall? C’mon. You must remember, because how could we ever forget the frigid season that lasts for more than half the year in Canada?

Yes, winter.

You’ve spent the summer enjoying the great outdoors at the beach, the cottage or basking in the enviable glow of your own backyard. And if you want to enjoy your backyard again next summer, there are a few steps you need to take right now to ensure your lawn is luscious and inviting for those oh-so-brief moments when your bare feet touch soft, green grass.

The million-dollar question is, of course, will you winterize your lawn yourself, or will you pay to have the professionals do the dirty work for you? Well, it depends on how much time, effort and money you’re willing to part with in order to get the desired results. If you fancy yourself a bit of a backyard greenskeeper, here’s what you need:
1 A rake
2 A lawnmower
3 A bag of fertilizer

And here’s what you do: Rake leaves and debris off your lawn. Be aggressive!
Rake out any areas where heavy thatch has built up.

After the lawn has stopped growing, and before the snow descends, cut the lawn once more, lowering the mower deck to about two inches. Do the fi nal mowing with a bagger to pick up cut grass, stray leaves, and other debris and to prevent snow mould from developing.

Fall is a perfect time to fertilize. Applying a good fertilizer in late fall gives your lawn a pre-winter boost and gets it ready for the cold. Fertilizers contain three nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium) and they’re listed on the bags in their relative proportions.

CHILL TIP: In a true winterizing fertilizer, the fi rst number (nitrogen) will be the lowest.

DIY (do it yourself) Saves money Enjoys time in the fresh air Gets satisfaction from a job well done CHILL FACTOR: lawn looks great, and so will you thanks to all the calories you burned raking and mowing

DIFM (do it for me) Appreciates expert advice Doesn’t enjoy manual labour Prefers to spend free time on other activities Wants great results with minimal effort CHILL FACTOR: lawn looks great, and so did the game you were watching while others did the work

DN (do nothing) Was meaning to do the lawn, but didn’t get around to it Lent your lawnmower to the neighbor in 1996 and haven’t seen it since Why bother? The snow will cover everything up for now.
Hates seeing your neighbours’ lush lawns in the spring CHILL FACTOR: sshhhhh...nothing can interfere with your couch time

Don’t let leaves pile up while waiting until the trees are bare to rake them: a build-up of leaves on top of the grass blocks out the sunlight grass blades need to stay healthy. A mulching mower or a mower with a bag attachment makes leaf clean-up easier.

If you prefer to rake, remember that leaves make great mulches in gardens and also add valuable nutrients to compost, so don’t just burn them or throw them out. Plus, think of the calories you’ll burn and the great arm muscles you’ll develop!

If you’re feeling especially ambitious, aerating makes holes in your lawn that allow water and nutrients to get right down to the grass roots.

You can rent an aerator at most home stores and aerating won’t take any longer than cutting your lawn. You could even hold a lawn aerating party and team up with some neighbours to share the cost of the rental.

Sound like way too much work?

Well, there are plenty of companies willing to do the work for you.

A professional winterizing can cost anywhere from $178 to upwards of $275, but may be money well spent for the expert advice you receive, not to mention the free time you gain.

And lawn care companies typically offer a little more than you can do yourself, including pH soil testing, grub control, crabgrass control and regular checkups.

Whether you’re tackling the job with your own two hands or passing it off to those in the know, there are some other duties you probably should perform before too long: Store garden chemicals correctly, in a suitable place for the winter.

Make sure to drain hoses and sprayers completely.

Mowers and other power equipment should be winterized, too. Check owner manuals for proper procedures.

Drain gas from tanks.

Clean off grass and debris. Sharpen blades now so that you’re ready to go in the spring.

Hand shovels, clippers, trimmers and other hand tools should be cleaned and lightly oiled.

This is a good time to repair anything broken.

So, you have some choices to make: Are you the handyman who likes to do it for himself, or the candyman who knows his time is better spent on the golf course or watching the Lingerie Football League on TV? There is a third option; you could be “I’m Not Gonna Do Anything Man” and just play the wait and see game.

When spring finally rolls around again, you’ll see the fruits of your non-labour, which will most likely include dead grass, wilted bushes and a yard that won’t make anyone green with envy except you as you look longingly at your neighbours’ lush lawns.