The days are getting shorter and that familiar nip is in the air. The hot Texas summer is gone and winter is right around the corner. This change in temperatures also triggers a change in your lawn. Most lawns in Texas are warm-season grasses such as Bermudagrass and St. Augustine. Warm-season grasses do their growing in the summer but as soon as temperatures drop they go dormant. Your grass may slow down in the winter but it can come back as soon as temperatures rise again. As long as the ground isn’t frozen, which rarely happens in Texas, you can continue to perform yard work and tasks to prepare your yard for spring. 
Continue to Irrigate
The rainy season in Texas is from March to May and sometimes early fall from September to October. Our winters are usually very dry, and your grass needs at least an inch of water every week to remain healthy. Remember to water your grass early in the morning so your grass isn’t wet overnight.
Apply Dormant Oil to Trees
The number one killer of trees in Texas is not drought, it’s pests. Most pests are harmless and most trees can withstand some insect activity. However, some pests are known to carry deadly diseases that can kill your trees. In Texas, the most common types of tree damaging insects are tent caterpillars, mites, and tree scale. In the fall these pests lay their eggs and then overwinter on the bark of trees. In the spring they emerge to feed on your trees. Dormant oil is a horticultural oil that can be applied to the bark of your trees to smother these pests before they have a chance to wreak havoc in the spring.
Sharpen Your Lawn Mower Blades
Your blades are what do all the work cutting your grass and keeping it looking beautiful. But blades naturally wear out over time and also suffer dings from the occasional sticks and rocks. Dull blades can make your grass look less attractive because it tears instead of cutting the grass. This causes jagged edges that can turn brown and die, making your lawn look brown and dingy.
Wrap Your Trees
We don’t get too cold here in Texas, but when it does, it can affect young and vulnerable trees. Trees with thin bark such as ash, maple, or linden, are extremely susceptible to sunscald. Sunscald occurs during the winter and is caused by sudden temperature changes in the bark. When the bark of young trees is exposed to direct sunlight and warm up the bark deacclimates. When the sun goes down and temperatures drop the temperature of the bark drops quickly before it can reacclimate causing the bark to split. 
Mosquito Control
There are many reasons that make Texas a great place to live. Unfortunately, the great weather also attracts mosquitoes. In Texas, we have one of the longest mosquito seasons in the country. Mosquitoes come out of hibernation in March and begin to breed and annoy us with their incessant buzzing. Mosquitoes start to slow down when temperatures get below 50 degrees, but in some parts of the state Mosquitoes are a year-round annoyance. To control mosquitoes, dump out any water that has collected in flower pots, birdbaths, tarps, tires, toys, lawn furniture, wheelbarrows, and gutters.
Hire the Lawn Experts at Ashton Walden
At Ashton Walden, we have years of experience dealing with Texas lawns and the problems they face. If you want to take it easy next year and let someone else do the work then call and ask about our lawn care program.
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