When driving around, it’s easy to see who works hard in their yards and who doesn’t. At the first sign of spring, many people begin to work on their yard by weeding, fertilizing, and mowing. However, they don’t do all the work during those two seasons. A great way to enjoy healthy, green grass is to focus some of your time on fall lawn care.
Preventative Care
Even though grass becomes dormant in the fall, this is the ideal time to do things that’ll help it grow in the spring. You can think of this as preventative care. Not only do you want to prevent unwanted issues, but you also lay the foundation for springtime. You’ll notice a big difference in how your grass looks and feels.
Continue to Mow
You don’t want to stop mowing your grass at the first frost, but rather when you notice there’s no new growth. As part of fall lawn care, you need to winterize your mower, weed eater, and other operable equipment. Take the mower as an example. Start by looking for any damage that might need fixing. Also, clean the air filter, change the oil and spark plugs, and have the blades sharpened.
Water and Rake
If there isn’t at least an inch of rain each week where you live, you’ll need to water the grass. This helps to strengthen the roots and help them grow. One good thing about fall is it rains. Three – Rake the grass immediately after the leaves begin to fall. For one thing, that ensures the grass gets plenty of sunshine. For another, it keeps walking paths clear so that no one gets hurt.
Don’t Forget Aeration for Fall Lawn Care
Don’t forget to aerate. The two main things that cause the grass to turn brown and thin are heat stress and soil compaction. The benefit of aeration is it removes soil plugs. With those gone, the grass can now get the nutrients needed to grow strong and healthy in the spring. Although this isn’t hard to do, you can always hire a professional to aerate your grass.
Apply the Right Fertilizer
You’ll want to apply a nitrogen-rich fertilizer to the lawn in the fall. Although people fertilize in the spring, doing this in the fall is even more important. As the grass lays dormant throughout the winter, the fertilizer gives it the nutrients needed to survive and thrive.
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Take Care of Bald Spots and Unwanted Pests
Seeding bare spots is another part of fall lawn care. For this, you don’t want to sprinkle seeds over the top of the ground. By doing that, they won’t grow. Instead, you can use a small tiller or poke holes in the areas so the seeds can settle into the soil. Take action against pests like moles, grubs, armyworms, and more. Otherwise, they can destroy an entire yard.