The Slumbering Lawns of El Paso

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El Paso residents--and their lawns--enjoy close to 300 sunny days a year. That's great news if you use a heat-tolerant grass. On the downside, even during a La Niña year, this bustling Texas city only receives eight inches of rain annually. El Paso's sandy soil means that you'll have to water your lawn through the winter.

The sandy soils found in the El Paso area won't hold moisture very long. Even if the ground is covered with frost for short periods in the winter, you'll need to keep your lawn fed and watered through the cold months. Since weather fluctuates more than soil composition, it's best to respond to the actual conditions you experience through the winter months, rather than counting days between watering your lawn.

El Paso Winter Lawn Care

A good way to measure the moisture content of your lawn in the winter is to walk across it and examine your tracks. If the lawn seems to be wilting or if your footsteps linger in the grass for more than an hour, it's a sign to get the water going. However, it's not a good idea to continually stress-test your lawn to see if it can make it on minimal irrigation. Every four to six weeks may be sufficient during the cold months.

If you've fed your lawn a nitrogen application between September and November before the winter sets in, you may be able to hold off the next fertilization until May. Use a well-balanced fertilizer that includes a combination of iron, sulfur, phosphorus, and potassium for best results.

About the Author

Gabby Hyman has created online strategies and written content for Fortune 500 companies including eToys, GoTo.com, Siebel Systems, Microsoft Encarta, Avaya, and Nissan UK.