Raking and bagging fallen leaves can feel like an endless task in the autumn. But it's a big part of promoting the health of your lawn. Allowing leaves to pile up can invite snow mold, rodents, and lawn pests. You can let a small amount remain if you run over them with a mulching mower.  Mulched leaves will add nutrients back into the lawn over winter. All that raking is also good for dethatching your lawn.

Cool-season grasses such as bluegrass, fescue, or perennial rye will need a hearty meal before the lawn goes dormant. There are many different types of fertilizer, so you'll want to choose one that's suited for both the season and the grass type.  Be sure to choose a winter fertilizer, which will be rich in potassium and support healthy root growth. If, on the other hand, you have a warm-season lawn such as Bermudagrass, St. Augustine, or Zoysia, you may want to fertilize sparingly and save your big feeding for the spring.

Before winter, you have a perfect window of time for removing weeds. The more you're able to eliminate weeds now, the less likely they'll make a comeback when the weather warms up again. This is critical for giving overseeded lawns a chance to thrive because it helps to remove the competition for nutrients.

Before you hang up your gardening gloves and winterize the lawnmower, make sure you've taken steps to winterize your lawn. Once you've prepared the grass, you can call it quits on lawn care and cozy up for the holidays.