Keep Your Lawn Healthy This Holiday Seasons

From blow-up jack-o-lanterns to life-sized reindeer, nothing says “Happy Holidays” like a well-decorated lawn. Whether your entire Spring Hill neighborhood comes together every year to build gawk-worthy displays or you’re the only house on the block with a Nascar Santa and Elfin pit crew, you may want to consider how these decorations can affect your Hernando County lawn.

At Challenger Irrigation, we LOVE to get in the holiday spirit, so while we’d never discourage you from creating a winterscape that even Clark Griswold would envy, we have a few tips that will help you keep your lawn healthy well into the new year.

• Move those inflatables! Keeping your Mickey Mouse holiday inflatable in the same spot can destroy the turf beneath by preventing sunlight and water from being absorbed. Instead of keeping it in the same location, move it weekly to allow your grass to recover.
• Use lights and power cords that are meant for the outdoors. Anything else could short circuit and/or start a fire. Even with decorations intended for outdoor use, consider using a timer so your lights aren’t on all night. Not only will you minimize the chances of anything catching on fire, you’ll cut back on your electric bill, as well.
• Avoid putting heavy decorations directly on the lawn. The plywood gingerbread man you made might be a neighborhood favorite, but it can suffocate the grass beneath and compact the soil. If at all possible, protect your lawn by placing heavy decorations on patios or mulch beds.
• Clear everything out ASAP. It takes a lot of time and effort to put up all of those decorations, so you may be tempted to enjoy them longer by leaving them out after the holidays have passed. The sooner you get everything off of your lawn and landscaping, the sooner you’ll be able to restore your grass to health.
• Irrigate! Not running your sprinklers may keep your outdoor decorations nice and dry, but it’s no good for your lawn. As soon as you put the decorations away, resume your regular watering routine.

If you need help reviving your lawn after the holidays, contact Challenger Irrigation. We have decades of experience helping Hernando County residents have beautiful, lush lawns – no matter what time of year.