How to Prepare Your Lawn for Winter in Ontario

Short answer: Prepare your lawn for winter by clearing all leaves, doing a moderate final mow, fixing compacted or bare areas in early fall, applying a fall feeding before the ground freezes if you use fertilizer, and keeping snow piles and salt off the grass.

Step by step

1. September: aerate compacted areas and overseed thin spots while the soil is still warm.
2. October: keep mowing at normal height and mulch light leaf cover.
3. Late October to November: clear heavy leaves every week or two.
4. Early to mid November: final mow slightly lower, then a final leaf cleanup.
5. Before freeze-up: a fall feeding if you fertilize, following the label.
6. Before the first storm: mark lawn edges along the driveway so plows and snow blowers do not tear up the sod.

Winter damage to watch for

• Snow mould: grey or pink matted patches after melt.
• Salt burn: brown strips along driveways and sidewalks.
• Plow damage: sod torn up at driveway edges.
• Compaction: from piling snow in the same spot all winter.

What to avoid

• Leaving leaves or long grass on the lawn.
• Throwing salty snow onto the same patch of lawn all winter.
• Walking on frozen grass repeatedly, which breaks the blades.

When to call a professional

Our fall yard cleanup handles leaves, the final mow and beds, and our snow crews mark edges and stack snow away from lawns where possible.

Questions homeowners ask

Is it too late to seed in October?

Seed needs warm soil to establish. Late seeding often fails; dormant seeding in late fall is an option some people use.

Should I water before winter?

In a dry fall, a deep watering before freeze-up helps. Disconnect hoses afterwards.

Does snow insulate the lawn?

Clean snow does. Snow over leaves and salty plow piles cause the damage.