Salem Red Sox groundskeeper offers lawn winterization tips

SALEM, Va. -

You've got to be strong to be the groundskeeper of a baseball team. Between dragging the dirt, pumping the water and pushing the mowers, it's not work for the faint of heart.

Ross Groenevelt loves it, saying "it's pretty cool" that his office is LewisGale Field.

The Red Sox season is coming to a close, but Groenevelt and his team of five assistants will be working hard well after the season is over.

The focus is fixing problem spots, but Groenevelt offers three big tips for making sure your lawn looks good in the spring.

1. Know your lawn

Any groundskeeper will tell you this is very important. Groenevelt says knowing your lawn means knowing the type of grass already down and what soil makes it grow well. You can get your soil and grass tested at the Virginia Cooperative Extension. There, you can make sure you're buying the right kind of seed and soil.

2. Let It Grow

Everybody wants to keep those lawns short in the summer. But Groenevelt recommends cutting with a little less frequency this time of year.

As you get ready to seed your lawn in the fall, "You want to let those root systems grow a little deeper and stronger in the ground," Groenevelt says. By not cutting as frequently, those roots are given time to get stronger in preparation for the winter.

Continue reading here:
Salem Red Sox groundskeeper offers lawn winterization tips