Before the onset of winter, it’s time to get busy preparing your lawn to withstand the harsh cold weather ahead. Doing the work for fall lawn care can make a huge difference in how your lawn will turn out to be next spring. In short, you’ll be reaping what you sow. Summer is about to end, and chances are, it has gravely affected the condition of your lawn. The summer heat, lack of rain, and heavy foot traffic can cause dead brown grass, unwanted weeds to grow, and insects to thrive. Whether you plan to do the lawn care for fall on your own or hire professionals in East Tennessee, we have easy fall lawn care tips to get you on the right track.
Have a beautiful lawn without spending a lot of money and time maintaining it. Proper fall lawn care can help cut down the work for the next seasons to come. Autumn is not the time to slack off, but the best time to get ahead of the lawn game. Get ready to get your hands dirty, and enjoy the fruits of your labor in the spring.
Proper Fall Mowing
What works for summer isn’t going to apply during fall. Adjust the mowing height about two inches tall. Doing it makes the grassroots grow efficiently, which results in less watering. It also helps keep weeds from disrupting your lawn. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), many grass species are healthiest when they grow between 2-1/12 and 3-1/2 inches tall.
Tips: Avoid mowing when the grass is wet to prevent clogging the mower. Mow with sharp blades to avoid tearing and causing damage to the grass.
Water Properly
Keep your grass healthy and out of dryness. The trick is to water the lawn slowly and deeply than more often. This method increases the strength of the grassroots and decreases its vulnerability to drought. Stay away from daily watering. First, it doesn’t help but instead, it makes things worse by causing the roots to stay on the surface and find less moisture when it’s a dry period. Second, it’s a waste on your water bill. Watering grass on an early morning is the best time to save water and do the job efficiently.
Fertilize Just Right
According to Dorothy Kienke of the University of Idaho Extension, as part of the “Don’t Bag It!” lawn care, nutrition management or fertilization is necessary to perform in the fall, specifically at the end of September to late November. It’s a perfect time to apply 75% of the annual fertilization before the ground starts to freeze and while the grass is still green. Doing it helps to foster the growth of grassroots and result in a greener lawn during spring.
Reseed Dead Patches
Don’t leave your lawn looking patchy and ugly after the summer heatwave. It’s time to reseed dead or thin patches or repair bare areas of the lawn. The cool temperature during fall helps in seed germination.
Get Rid of Weeds
Fall is the right time to hit the unsightly broad leaf weeds hard with a post-emergent herbicide. Spray the difficult weeds when the soil is moist and the temperature is moderate. If you’re unsure of this step, it’s better to leave the fall lawn care, specifically the weed control and treatment to a weed control expert in your area of East Tennessee.
Aerate Cool-Season Grasses
Fall is the best time to aerate cool-season grasses. Aeration decreases thatch, helps loosen soil, and improves drainage.
Let the Grass Breathe
Rake off fallen leaves from your lawn. Remove the huge pile of accumulated dry leaves to let your lawn grass breath.
Mulching
Mulching is the act of treating the soil by covering with organic materials such as fallen leaves. Do away with spring mulching by doing it during fall. You can free up some time on your spring chores by doing the work now. Moreover, the cool temperature is ideal to do the work without getting drenched in sweat. Mulching benefits the lawn in different ways such as retaining soil moisture, preventing weed growth, impeding soil erosion from happening, and increasing the beauty of the lawn.