10 Fall Lawn Care Tips

You can feel it in the air; fall is approaching. The days are growing shorter, the leaves are changing, the nights are cooler, and your grass has slowed its growth down. It’s now time to think about preparing your lawn – not only for the long winter ahead but also for the coming spring.

I like to think of grass as my carpet outside. It must be cared for regularly in order to maintain its brilliance. Fall is a time that your grass requires a bit more care to prepare it for the coming months. Many people do not realize that through the harsh winter your lawn continues to grow a stronger root system. Here are ten tips to help your lawn this fall season so you can enjoy its rewards in the spring.

1) You need to fertilize your lawn before the extreme cold hits. Your lawn will need food to aid in root growth throughout the winter and to help it produce a stunning green when spring finally arrives.

2) Many people think that they no longer need to water their lawns with the fast approaching winter knocking at the door. This is not true. Now, more than ever, your lawn needs water. It will need water to absorb the fall fertilizer and to grow strong roots. So continue to water your lawn until true winter arrives.

3) It’s time for weed killer. Buy a broad leaf weed killer and apply it before the temperatures drop below 50 degrees during the day.

4) Keep the leaves off your lawn. Rake those leaves up as they fall. Your grass needs sunlight and leaves will gradually kill it. They will also breed disease if you let them lie on the lawn throughout the winter months. Your grass will wither and die with leaves on top of it.

5) Mulch a few of the leaves to give your grass nutrients. However, not too much. Some people simply have too many deciduous trees that are dropping leaves to seriously mulch them all. Most of the leaves will have to be raked up.

6) Be sure to aerate your lawn. The soil compacts down through usage and time; by aerating your yard you are offering the roots a chance to breath and spread. Plus it allows water and nutrients to reach the root system more easily.

7) Fall is also a wonderful time to reseed your lawn and fill in any holes that might look patchy. Simply work the soil up with a rake, spread grass seed, cover the grass seed an inch or two thick with peat moss, and then water as usual. Next spring your lawn will be lush and perfect.

8) Fall is the time for grub control. You will find that adult beetles lay their eggs throughout your grass in July and August. The grubs will grow throughout the winter and they will eat the roots of your grass. This will cause loss of growth and bare spots when spring arrives. Fall is the ideal time to buy insecticide and practice strong grub control.

9) Mow your yard. Try to keep your grass two inches high for the coming winter. Grass that is longer will mold under the snow and the results will be horrific when spring arrives because there will be large dead spots. Grass that is shorter then two inches will die.

10) Make sure all toys, lawn furniture, fire place pits, barbeques, and anything else is removed from your yard. If you have these sitting on your lawn throughout the winter, the grass will die in these spots and it might also make the yard more prone to sickness as the grass molds and decomposes under the weight of the various things.

These ten tips should help you to prepare for spring so your lawn is back to its glorious, green state that everyone so admires.