Winter Lawn Care: Winterizing Your Lawn Mower and Other Equipment
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The weather has been getting colder which means it’s time to come to terms with the fact that winter is right around the corner. Hopefully, you have cleaned up your gardens, removed any dead plants, and have things wrapped up for the winter in your yards. Have you considered a few other winter lawn care tasks that should be completed before winter fully sets in, such as winterizing your lawn mower and other gas-powered equipment or cleaning off your garden tools? We often forget that these things need to be winterized as well. Let this be your reminder!
How to Winterize a Lawn Mower
Fall is a good time to clean up your mower and prepare it for next year. Clean off any grass that has collected on the underside of the deck. Keep in mind that this task should be completed regularly throughout the summer, especially if the grass was wet when you mowed. If you never got around to doing so this summer, it is a good idea to take the time to do it now.
Treating the gas in your mower with a fuel stabilizer is also a good idea. If you plan on adding it to the gas tank, be sure to start your mower to circulate the treated gas throughout the engine. Now is also a good time to change the oil and complete any other standard maintenance tasks that your mower requires. If you are not very handy at this particular winter lawn care task, most hardware stores offer this service.
Don’t Neglect Your Other Lawn Equipment
Don’t forget about your other gas-powered equipment, such as line trimmers or blowers. They should also be cleaned up and stored for the winter. Most of these tools have 2-stroke engines that require the oil to be mixed with the gasoline, so treating the gas with a fuel stabilizer is also encouraged. Don't forget to check if the spark plug needs replacing.
Winterize Your Garden Hand Tools
The hand tools you use during the spring and summer, such as shovels, trowels, garden hoses and such should be cleaned off before you store them for the winter. Use a wire brush to remove caked-on soil and rust and then wipe them down with some motor oil to keep them from rusting again. Unless the handle was varnished, you can smooth off any rough spots with sandpaper and wipe them with linseed oil. This will help to prevent the wood from drying out and splitting.
Get Your Snow Blower Ready
If you live in an area that sees snow: was your snow blower serviced before it was put away last? Do your snow shovels need any repair or replacement? It's better to address any issues now than wait until the first snow falls so you're prepared.
It can be somewhat sad putting everything away for the winter, knowing colder months are upon us. The holidays are approaching soon, so there are holiday lights to put out in the next couple of weeks. The next thing you have to look forward to is the new seed catalogs that usually come out around January! It can be surprising how quickly winter can fly by and, before you know it, you will be out in the yard, planting, watering, pulling weeds, and enjoying your outdoor environment once again.