Fall Lawn Care

With all the leaves creating a colorful canvas around your home, it might be easy to forget about the care that your lawn under it needs. But the cooler weather and occasional rainfall make autumn the ideal time to prep your lawn for spring. 

While the growth of your grass has slowed down, it’s actually working overtime absorbing and storing moisture and nutrients for the winter. This means your grass is still very active and open to the attention you give it now. Fall is the time to give extra attention and care to your lawn. You’ll be happy you did when you have a lush, green lawn next spring!  Here are a few tips for fall lawn care.

Continue Mowing
Throughout the fall, keep watering and mowing your lawn as needed. With each mowing, adjust the mower's blade to the next lowest setting. This allows more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass, and there will be less leaf to turn brown during the winter.

Aerate the Soil
Fall is also an ideal time to aerate, which allows oxygen, water, and fertilizer to reach the grass's roots better. You can rent an aerator machine for roughly $50 - $100 per day. If you have a large yard and don’t want to aerate yourself, you can hire a landscaping contractor. 

Remove Leaves While few people enjoy raking leaves, it is critical to your lawn to remove dead leaves. It might be tempting to wait until all the leaves have fallen to start raking, but don’t. Fallen leaves that get wet from rain or dew can suffocate the grass and breed fungal diseases if left unmoved. Landscaping contractors like Gardenin’ Angels can provide a quick fall cleanup to remove all leaves and ensure your grass can breathe and get the full benefit from the occasional rain and sunlight this season.  

Fertilize for Future Growth
If you fertilize your lawn only one time each year - do it in the fall. As the weather cools, the grass blades are growing much more slowly, but the grass roots and rhizome plant stems continue to grow quickly. A fertilizer application in the fall provides essential nutrients for the grass to grow deep roots now and store nutrients for a healthy start next spring. In mid-to-late fall apply a dry lawn fertilizer to all grassy areas. Use a spreader and apply an even, consistent layer of fertilizer.    While it may seam like a lot of work, giving your lawn the extra attention now will pay off once the spring comes and you’re rewarded with lush and vibrant grass.