Lawn care is widely associated with spring and summer, and many homeowners assume that maintenance ends when temperatures begin to fall. In reality, autumn is when some of the most crucial lawn care steps happen.

Kelly Kopp, a professor and turfgrass specialist at the Utah State University Extension, explained that preparation is key to next season’s green grass. “The most important thing is to send the lawn into winter healthy, not stressed. A healthy lawn with good root development is much better prepared to tolerate cold, snow cover, and winter desiccation than a lawn that has been scalped, overfertilized, or left buried under leaves.”

If you’re looking for a thicker, greener lawn next year, here’s the complete pre-winter checklist.

How to Prepare Your Lawn for Winter

Time Your Final Mow Carefully

Many lawns continue growing longer than homeowners expect. In general, top-growth slows when daytime temperatures consistently hover around 50 degrees, and full dormancy is reached when the ground freezes.…