6 Fall Lawn Care Tips

As the grass-growing season winds down for the summer, it doesn’t mean your lawn care should also wind down. There are a few important lawn care tasks you want to make sure you get done this fall to prepare your grass for the winter months. In this blog, read about fall lawn care tips.

Mow some mo’

Thanks to the abundance of rainfall we’ve gotten this summer, most peoples’ yards are still green. That means they are still growing strong. Continue to mow into the fall, as needed. When it looks like you’re getting down to the last couple of times, begin to lower the blade each time you cut the grass. This will result in less thatch to clean up in the spring and will expose more of the sun to the crown of the grass.

Aerate

This process requires a special machine. It will plop out little clumps of dirt, which look like goose poo – but it’s really good for your lawn! Aerating allows for the roots to spread wide and loosens up the soil in your yard. Roots with room to grow are happy roots. You can either rent a machine and do it yourself, or hire your local landscaping contractor.

Rake

Raking leaves will prevent rot to develop on your lawn under the snow this winter. Though raking isn’t the most popular household chore, it has many other benefits besides keeping your lawn healthy:

•  Raking is great exercise
• Dead leaves are an excellent addition to your compost pile
• It can be a fun family activity!

Fertilize

Did you forget to fertilize in the spring? We’ll let you off the hook as long as you do it this fall. This is the most important time to get nutrients to your grass. While the leaves stop growing in cooler weather, the roots don’t. When late fall hits, spread an even layer of fertilizer on your lawn. But be careful – if you spread too much it can burn!

Repair your lawn

Head to your home and garden store and pick up a good lawn repair mixture, then follow these steps:

• Loosen the soil on the bald spot
• Apply a thick layer of lawn repair mixture
• Lightly compact it and water every 2-3 days for 2 weeks

Take back control

Weeds are getting ready for hibernation, which means they’re soaking up anything and everything to keep them alive. Though it’s interesting that a plant knows when to kick it into survival mode, that doesn’t make them smart, which means they’ll also be happy to soak up some weed killer. Get some good herbicide when you pick up your lawn repair mixture and apply it depending on the manufacturer’s guidelines.

Did you find these tips helpful? Now that you’ve got a honey-do list, it’s time to get to work in preparing your lawn for winter. However, we understand that fall is also a very busy time for families and businesses. If you want to ensure a healthy lawn for the spring, give us a call and we’ll take care of the work for you this fall.

Now would also be a great time to speak with a professional designer about spring landscaping. Then you can spend the winter pinning ideas and dreaming about warmer days in your yard! Get some great ideas on Pinterest!