Plants will grow using the food energy which was already stored. 3. After you’ve turned off your sprinkler system, continue to water your grass. If it’s a relatively dry winter, most likely it won’t extend too long into the spring. Eventually, you’ll want to water between 6 and 10 am, while the weather is still cool. This is an important time for turf to “heal” after a stressful summer, especially if it has been worn down by traffic or suffered from disease or insect problems. “Lawn watering is often stopped in early fall. A final application of fertilizer appropriately timed, can also protect your grass from snow mold. The summer is over, the grass is not growing as fast, and we have longer and cooler nights. Spring is the trickiest season to aerate your lawn in Colorado because it depends on the winter we’ve had. When to water. Keep an eye on rainfall totals and remember that most lawns only need 3/4 inch to 1 inch or water per week. Mow the grass and apply fertilizer after the grass has stopped growing, about six weeks before it goes dormant. You do not need to winter water any dormant plants and grasses. To keep your grass happy and heathy, follow these tips: 1)  Do not stop watering too early: continue to water regularly into October – this will allow the turf to recover from the summer, start to fill in damaged areas, and push back the emergence of winter mites. Grasses and Grass like plants (from USU) – A great resource to help identify the species of grasses on your land. To prevent turf damage to your grass, watering is the best treatment. How can you prevent your lawn from being winter-killed in Colorado? You’ll also want to water anything that’s exposed to the wind or lots of sun. Therefore, you need a grass that is pretty resistant to drought. Water is vital in the winter months when there is not adequate rainfall. If you are not sure how long you should water, mark some plastic containers an inch above the bottom and place them in different parts of the watering zone. REcolorado’s Home Blog features helpful articles, tips, community information, and more. You don’t need to go overboard to ensure that your … 2. Never hesitate to contact us at 303.232.0666 send us an estimate request below to get on one of our fine lawn care programs: Mountain High / SavATree Helps: Our Charity. One way is to not ignore your yard in the winter; even in the winter, you still need to care for your yard. The best time of day to irrigate is between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. 5. Some people may stop watering on the day it rains, but if there has been significant rain it may be enough to stop watering for several days. Native plants are acclimatized to Colorado weather, and therefore will naturally dry out in the winter. Watering until the ground freezes allows the plant roots to absorb water and hold that water throughout the winter. If your lawn appears to be holding water, or if you’re seeing evidence of puddles in your lawn, you need to stop watering and give it time to dry out. After you’ve turned off your sprinkler system, continue to water your grass. Lawns thrive on regular watering and the sooner it starts getting watered in the spring, the sooner it … Water everything in your yard that was planted during the last growing season. However, historic ET and rainfall data for most of Colorado shows a need of 0.5 to 0.75 inch of irrigation per week during September and October. So, how do you winter water grass? Dear Jerri, All perennials, shrubs and trees should be watered regularly until the ground freezes. In Colorado, this period typically runs from November through April. 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