It is always hard to determine when fall ends and winter begins in the Kingsville area.

Regardless of the exact day and time that Old Man Winter will arrive, turfgrass growth begins slowing during the month of November and remains slow in December and January.

With this in mind, the next two weeks or so are perfect for preparing lawns for the winter.

The first step in winterizing the turf is to raise the mower deck to a higher level.

By doing so grass stress is greatly reduced as the turf enters the dormant period.

Mower heights vary among the various grass species.

Common bermuda grass should be left at 2 to 2.5 inches in height and hybrid bermuda should be left between 1 and 1.5 inches.

The winter height for St. Augustine should be 3 to 3.5 inches unless it is in a shady area and than it should be left even a little bit taller, around 3.5 to 4 inches.

The second step in the winterizing process is to apply the last fertilization application for the year.

Ideally, this is done at least 30 days prior to the first frost date.

Fertilizer applications need only to be applied to grasses that are actively growing. Select a fertilizer formulated for fall and winter application.

Third, water as needed throughout the winter. Even though dormant, warm season grasses are still alive and do require water.

November, December and January are traditionally very dry months in South Texas and it is extremely important that lawns are closely monitored and receive irrigation periodically.

Lawns that suffered the greatest damage during last summer’s drought were those that had not been properly watered during the winter months.

Finally, the winter months provide a great opportunity to clean and repair lawn and garden equipment.

Changing the oil and spark plugs, cleaning air filters and replacing worn or damaged parts now will insure that mowers and other pieces of lawn maintenance equipment are ready for use next year.