How to Keep Your Myrtle Beach Lawn Green This Winter

Many homeowners in the Myrtle Beach area commonly see their lawn turn brown in the winter. The natural tendency of warm-season grasses to go dormant is quite common in many South Carolina lawns. However, some homeowners may want to keep their lawn green all year which can be an easy task that you can accomplish in just a few steps. Check out these tips on how to keep your Myrtle Beach lawn green this winter for a beautiful lawn year-round.

Know Your Grass Type
According to data from LawnStarter, the most common grass type in Myrtle Beach is Bermudagrass, which is a warm-season variety.  Additionally, the second most common grass type is Tall Fescue – a cool season grass which has totally different properties than Bermudagrass.  Homeowners who don’t know what kind of grass they have in their lawn will be left wondering if or when the lawn will go dormant in the winter. Make sure to inspect your lawn, learn your grass type and read up on it to see which kind of grass variety is planted to know what steps to take to keep it green this winter.

Overseed with Cool Season Grass
For those more inland homes in the Myrtle Beach area, lawns may have other warm-season grass varieties like Zoysia grass. This variety grows well during the hot summer season but may turn brown in the winter. Overseeding lawns of these varieties in the winter will help combat the dormant brown color that can occur. Choose to overseed cool season grass, like Kentucky Bluegrass or Annual Ryegrass, in order keep the lawn green with varieties that can withstand the colder winter temperatures.

Add Extra Energy
Winters can be a hard season for grass to thrive due to the cooler temperatures. Make sure that your lawn has enough energy during the winter season with the application of fertilizer. Quick release fertilizers are a good option for greening up your lawn quickly but only last for a few weeks. Slow release fertilizers are spread in granule or pellet form and do an excellent job of providing long-lasting energy to a lawn over time. Both options are great for greening up your lawn but should not be applied at the same time to prevent burning. Other energy additions could include compost which is a natural energy source that helps create healthy soil that hosts the grassroots.

Mulch Fallen Leaves
Another great way to add natural energy to a lawn is to mulch fallen leaves. Choosing to mulch these leaves will help cut them down to a smaller size that can be easily absorbed. Dead leaves provide a natural form of nitrogen to lawns and can help boost the energy required to sustain healthy conditions throughout the winter. Allowing whole leaves to disintegrate onto the lawn slowly can do more harm than good as wet leaves will provide a breeding ground for mold and disease. Rent a leaf mulcher to do the job or mow over the leaves on the highest height setting to cut the leaves into smaller pieces.

Continue Watering
Just because the winter is a slow growing season doesn’t mean that your lawn needs to be thirsty. Consider adapting your watering schedule to comply with the weather patterns to keep the grass watered adequately. Many Myrtle Beach homeowners can water their lawns just 1-2 times a week in the winter to provide enough moisture to sustain a healthy lawn. Choose an automatic timer to take care of winter watering as well. The area rarely will see freezing temperatures but be aware of winter weather that could arrive and take steps to insulate watering systems to prevent freezing and burst pipes.

Keeping your Myrtle Beach lawn green this winter is easy with these simple tips. Knowing the kind of grass variety that your lawn contains is the first step to deciding to overseed during the winter. Continue watering and add energy sources to promote healthy lawn growth. All of these things will help keep your Myrtle Beach lawn green this winter to accentuate your beautiful home.

Olive Dawson is a gardening and landscape design writer and environmentalist. She is always searching for new ways to reduce waste and grow food organically. She is most proud of her homemade beauty products.