What can be done with my lawn during the winter months?

First, absolutely do not fertilize! One of the most important aspects of creating a healthy lawn is having the soil pH around 6.8 for turf plants. Soil pH is a measure of the number of hydrogen ions (H+) present in a solution. Simply speaking it is a measure of alkalinity and acidity. During the fall or winter months it is a good practice to take a soil pH reading and make any adjustments. There are a number of direct and indirect benefits for the grass plants. First, when the soil pH is 6.5 to 7.0 most nutrients are readily available for uptake by the grass plant. Also, calcium and magnesium though secondary nutrients have been found to have a critical role in grass plant health. At Horticultural Solutions we use a lot of new and improved products such as Solu-Cal , Cal-Turf™ and Mag-Turf™. These products have chelating agents that bind to plant nutrients increasing solubility and availability. Calcium and magnesium play a structural role in chlorophyll, cell formation, cell strength and root hair development. Additionally, they aid in the plants water uptake and evaporation and improve the availability of phosphorus. The direct benefits include turf that is more resistant to disease and stress as well as making fertilizer applications most effective.