Hello Everyone!

I hope y’all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and are feeling at least vaguely prepared for Christmas! I’m utterly unprepared but remain forever optimistic that tomorrow I will wake up motivated and on task!

But anyway, before you understandably forget what exactly it is I do and wonder how I got your email address allow me to get back on track: Here’s what you need to know about your lawn for Winter! As always I’ll have mercy and provide a short list first, for those who finished their Christmas shopping in August and are luxuriating in their keen organizational skills and spare time, more details will be further down.

1. Summer weeds dying off, winter weeds emerging
2. Brown patch widespread after recent rains. 
3. Brown patch 2, the sequel, coming out in Spring
4. winter top dressing – compost in winter for the lawn you want in spring!
5. Sod Webworm might be back next year 
6. mowing and watering recommendations for winter
7. Winterization continuing through December and January to focus on weed control

I’m heading to the UK to visit family from 12/24 – 1/9, we’ll be checking emails occasionally but responses may be slower than normal.

If you’ve made it this far, thank you! I have been busy mustering all my grass geekiness (aha! That’s where my Christmas prep energy has gone!) and below are the details of my bullet list above:

1. Weeds:

For the most parts problem summer weeds like doveweed and Virginia buttonweed have died off, winter weeds like chickweed and mock strawberry are emerging but happily do not pose the same threat and won’t harm your grass. The big exception to this is the dreaded kyllinga, bane of my existence. Kyllinga can both remain active over winter and harm your grass so that remains the one weed to be vigilant for
                                                                                            Kyllinga
2. Brown Patch

We’d been having a very quiet brown patch season through October but once it started raining in November it’s flared up all over the place. There’s not much to be done about it as the growing season has left us for warmer climes, other than making note of the effected areas as these are the spots that may need attention with soil condition, drainage or preventive measures in future.

3. Brown Patch the Sequel!

While there’s little to be done about Brown patch now, please take a moment to register the size and shape of the damage you have now, it is a common occurrence for the damage visible now will appear to recur in Spring. This does not mean the lawn has new Brown Patch as our lawns start greening and growing again much earlier than Spring Brown Patch season, it’s that the damage your lawn has now will take longer to recover next year aka The Ghost of Brown Patch Past

4. Winter Top Dressing

If you know me at all you know there’s not a strip of grass I wouldn’t rake some compost into!
But my strange proclivities aside, compost remains the most effective way to protect, preserve and recover your lawn, with the added bonus of improving soil condition!!
We still have spots left late January and February, if interested please respond “WTD” (short for winter top dressing, I promise I’ve not adopted any new Gen Z slang) for further details and pricing or to book a slot.

5. Sod Webworm

We actually had a late outbreak of sod webworm this year, it appeared in a very few lawns across our service area but hit so late as not to cause a significant amount of damage, BUT, as we know they’re present they will be back, earlier, next year unless we have a significant freeze. By significant freeze I want to say at least 24 consecutive hrs+ of freezing conditions.
The 2023-24 winter was fairly mild with one early freeze and caterpillar activity was especially high. We will be offering another round of Beneficial Nematodes in Spring, these are a natural preventive to sod worm and other lawn pests which I strongly recommend for everyone – especially if winter is mild. The price for a nematode application is the same as a regular treatment visit, if you’d like to be added to the list for spring please reply “Nematodes” to this email, there’s no obligation and we will be contacting everyone before we perform the treatment.

6. Watering and Mowing

Nice and simple!

– sprinklers can be turned off indefinitely, they shouldn’t be needed now until well into next year (even if we don’t get rain for a while.)
– continue mowing and bagging at least every other week but skip the weed eating unless actually necessary. The mow/bag is needed to help control winter weeds so can be skipped if you don’t have any, the weed eating is one of the most damaging things a lawn crew do, so best skipped whenever it’s not needed!

7. Winterization:

As with the last two years we’re doing the late winter application to focus on weed control so if you haven’t seen me by Christmas Eve I’ll see you in January! I hope everyone enjoys a wonderful Holiday Season and a Fantastic New Year!!
We have our own YouTube channel now (cringe) called Flaherty Lawns, if you find the clips helpful and even vaguely entertaining please let me know and I will keep doing them.
 Crazy Grass Lady’s Giveaway 
We are pleased to announce the winner of our free aeration treatment is Sylvia D from Houston

This is our big end of year, special: The Crazy Grass Lady Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Holidays Giveaway! Please respond to this email with the word TOP to be entered in our prize drawer for 1 cubic yard of lawn top dressing  We’ll choose a winner when we get back in January so please respond by then.
.One entry per person but you can nominate a friend or relative within our catchment area. You don’t have to be a current customer to enter.

                            
Yours sincerely

Crazy Grass Lady