From David Beaulieu,
Your Guide to Landscaping.
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There are a number of chores to complete in fall before the colder weather sets in, so that your grass will be ready for optimal growth when spring rolls around again. Therefore, although performed in fall, these tasks can be considered under the heading of "winter lawn care."

General Winter Lawn Care:

• Apply herbicides to broadleaf weeds.
  
  
• Correct pH. If a soil test should show a need to reduce acidity, apply lime now. If alkalinity needs to be reduced, apply sulphur.
  
  
• Thatch removal: dethatch your lawn, by raking; for bad cases of soil compaction, you may have to employ the technique known as core aeration.
  
  
• Rake leaves, lest the leaves smother your grass over the winter. To maximize your landscaping efficiency when raking leaves, consult Fall Cleanup: Make Mulch and Compost With the Leaves That You Rake .
  
  
• Lawn mower care: make sure to drain old gas after last mowing.

More on Winter Lawn Care

The tasks listed above are general winter lawn care chores, as they pertain to lawns throughout much of the temperate zone. But for those desirous of a bit more information, I have an expanded article on the subject of winter lawn care that breaks down the tasks in terms of warm-season grasses and cool-season grasses. According to which type of grass you have, there will be some differences in your winter lawn care regimen.