Before the leaves start to turn, make sure you have a game plan to finish the season right. Here are our best tips for lawn care in the fall.
Fall is the best time to carry out lawn maintenance and give it the extra boost it requires to make it through the colder months. There is plenty of leisure time ahead, but now is the time to finish the season right.
Keep mowing the lawn
You should continue to mow your lawn properly throughout the fall. Maintaining a proper mowing height is essential in keeping the grass healthy. If the grass grows too long, it will form mats and become vulnerable to fungal problems, such as snow mould. Keeping the right height also allows enough sunlight to reach the crown of the grass, reducing the probability of leaves turning brown during the winter. At Lawn Troopers, we mow your lawn at the right size to ensure it receives the best boost during the fall.
Remove the leaves
The autumn leaves colours might be nice to look at and be fun to play in, but they are not very good for your lawn. Once the eye-catching leaves start to drop from trees and cover your lawn, they will leave bare spots and dead grass. They usually block light and trap moisture, which potentially damages the turf underneath. They can also be a conducive environment for disease and insects. It is therefore good to take time and remove leaves during the fall to avoid lawn damages.
Aerate the soil
Fall is an ideal time to aerate your lawn so that oxygen, water, and fertilizer can easily reach the grass’s roots. Aerating helps to reduce soil compaction and thatch. Compaction and thatch reduce root development and limits soil oxygen, leading to unhealthy grass.
Using an aerator that punches holes through the thatch and removes plugs of dirt, will solve the problem and allow nutrients, water, and oxygen to reach the roots during the fall. We have comprehensive lawn treatments procedures that can be so beneficial for your lawn in the fall.
Fertilize your lawn
Take time and fertilize your lawn in the fall. Fall morning dew provides moisture for your grass to absorb the fertilizer. This gives the grass time to gain strength before the cold months ahead. Grass leaves grow much more slowly as the weather turns cool, but the grassroots and rhizomes continue to grow quickly.
Reseed your lawn
Fall can be a good time to reseed your lawn and make it thick. Weeds usually like to grow in open spaces between the grasses and eventually make your lawn look unsightly and unkempt. Make sure you reseed areas with patches as well as the rest of the lawn. We usually advise you to reseed after aeration to give the new grass a chance to make good contact with the soil.
Keep watering
Keep watering your lawn to maintain the required soil moisture levels. Actively growing, cool-season grass requires watering unless in cases where rainfall is taking care of that. Healthy and established lawns usually require 1 inch of water weekly. So, ensure that your lawn is getting watered the right way.
Weed control
Don’t allow broadleaf weeds like dandelions to take over your lawn during the fall. They will absorb essential nutrients from the grass and weaken it. Thus, keep controlling weeds by pulling them out or by using the allowable pesticides, such as Class 5, 6, and 7.
Now that you know our best tips for lawn care in the fall, let us know if you need any help this season! Lawn Troopers is prepared to defend your lawn on all fronts! Contact us to request a quote that fits your needs today.