The long days of summer have ended, and fall is here once again. For homeowners, this means that you will no longer have to complete those irksome, weekly mowing sessions. Your grass won’t grow as quickly and it will require far less maintenance. However, that doesn’t mean you can just ignore your lawn until warmer weather returns in the spring. In preparation for the cold, dry months ahead, your grass needs to suck up energy, moisture, and nutrients right now. Use our lawn care tips for fall to ensure that come spring, your lawn will be green, lush, and healthy.
Lawn Care Tips for Fall
RAKE AND REMOVE LEAVES
Raking up fallen leaves is very important if you want to maintain the health of your yard. If you don’t remove the leaves, they will become wet with dew each morning (and during any rainstorms) and start to stick together. That wet, oppressive blanket of leaves suffocates the grass and is a breeding ground for fungi. To prevent this, remove layers of leaves as they fall. If you wait until the trees are bare, your grass will suffer the consequences. While raking is the traditional method, you could also use an outdoor vacuum or a lawnmower (with a collection bag attached) to remove the leaves.
GIVE YOUR LAWN TRIMS
Continue mowing in the fall as you would in the summer, giving the grass a cut whenever it’s looking a bit shaggy. However, near the end of the season, you will want to cut it quite low for a week or two. Put your mower on its lowest setting, but be sure that you won’t cut off more than one-third of each grass blade. A short haircut will allow in more sunlight and also prevent the grass from browning too much during the winter.
FERTILIZE
If you want to fertilize in the fall, be sure to do so early, before your grass goes dormant. Giving your lawn a boost at this time of the year is optional, but it will help the grass roots and rhizomes grow quickly. Those strong roots will help the plant survive the winter and hold onto nutrients for springtime. Apply a dry fertilizer and be sure that you completely cover the lawn for consistent, even growth.
FILL IN BALD SPOTS
If your lawn has any bald spots, fall is a great time to take care of them. Do it early in the season, before the grass goes dormant, and use an all-in-one repair mixture (available at most gardening shops and home improvement centers). Loosen the soil in the bald spots, spread the mixture on top, compact it gently, and water. Continue watering it every other day. Be sure that you do this before the ground freezes or the seeds will struggle to grow.
STOP WHEN THE GROUND FREEZES
When the ground freezes, you can finally sit back and put your feet up! The grass will be dormant, so it won’t need any water and it won’t grow again until springtime.
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If mowing and watering your lawn is your least favorite chore, rejoice! The end is near. You’ve made it through yet another long summer and will soon be able to rest until spring. Or you could always hire a lawn care professional to take care of your yard year-round!
Tips brought to you by Murney Associates Realtor Debi Murray.
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