How to get your lawn ready for winter

To avoid some common pitfalls when prepping your yard this season and save both money and time, SheKnows shares some simple lawn care tips that will keep your lawn healthy and ready for winter, so that it will come up strong in the spring time.

Landscape expert, Keven Pauling of Keven's Landscape Service in Phoenix is the go-to-guy when it comes to simple lawn care. His no-fail lawn care tips for warm climates are below.

Winter prep lawn care tips:

How low can you go?
Dethatching is VERY important (mowing as low as possible) to get a nice flat layer of grass. Rake the yard with a stiff rake and mow again.

Sprinkler check
Be sure all of the sprinklers arein good working condition. If not, clean them or simply replace the heads. Most sprinklers have a replacable nozzle that costs less than half the price of the whole head.

Pick your seed
Buy perennial rye grass seed not annual. The annual is the stuff nightmares are made of!!! Spend a few extra dollars on the quality grass, as it will be worth it in the long run.

Ditch the mulch
Save money by not covering the seed with mulch or manure – those are overrated. It costs more than simply applying 20% more seed and the birds will get to eat, too.

Less is more
Water short bursts as often as six times per day. Don't let water puddle while you are trying to germinate the seed. It will cause the seed to float away. In 10 days you shuold have a lush, green lawn.