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Why should I winterize? 

Fertilizing is a well-known aspect of lawn "winterization," but there are additional steps to prepare your grass for the cold season. Understanding the rationale behind winterizing lawns is beneficial before delving into fertilizing and other measures. Some might question the necessity since grass doesn't grow in winter. Warm-season grasses thrive from mid-April to mid-October, favoring warm to hot climates. Conversely, cool-season grasses flourish in late spring and early fall, preferring cooler temperatures. But what happens during the rest of the year

Does the type of grass I have make a difference?

 Warm-season grasses go totally dormant in winter (to help them survive the cold) in all but the warmest areas of the U.S., such as South Florida: They're hitting the pause button and just waiting for winter to be over, after which time they'll pick up where they had left off.

Cool-season grasses go dormant in summer (to help them survive the heat). Cool-season grasses also experience a period of semi-dormancy in winter (because they like it cool, not frigid). However, activity can remain vibrant at the root level for them throughout winter: They are building reserves for their big growth spurt in spring.

What else can I do to winterize my lawn? 

1. Aim for a grass height of 2 1/2 inches, and, each time you mow, remove just the top 1/3 of the grass blade.  

2.  fall is no time to let up on weed control. Pay particular attention to perennial weeds; for example, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). 

3.  winter presents a lawn with desert-like conditions in the northern part of the United States. Sure, there may be plenty of snow. But even on days that the snow melts, the ground is frozen so deep that no moisture can get down to the roots of the grass. Making sure that your grass is adequately watered in fall, before the ground freezes, will help get it through winter's drought. 

4.  Don't let fallen leaves stay on your lawn too long. They can harbor diseases and deprive your grass blades of the light they need. You can also have them mulched which is also beneficial to the lawn.  Luxury Lawn Services offers a leaf mulching in the fall. 

5. Dethatching.  Thatch is made up of organic matter in your lawn that is slow to decompose. If the layer of thatch in your lawn is too thick, it negatively impacts grass health. When you dig the tines of a rake into the lawn in the process of raking, you are also controlling thatch at that same time. This is why raking may be a superior method of leaf removal as compared to other methods 

6. Aeration and overseeding is always a good idea in the fall.  When the grass in your lawn grows thickly, the benefits go beyond mere appearance. In a thick lawn, the weeds are crowded out. Not only is there little space for them to grow, but the grass also outcompetes them for resources (water, nutrients, sunshine). overseeding in the fall is a great step to take to ensure a better (and lower maintenance) lawn in spring.