With summer coming to an end and autumn beginning homeowners will need to switch up their approach to lawn care and maintenance. The cooler temperatures that fall shares with us make it the perfect time of year to get out in the yard and start preparing the lawn for spring. Don’t assume because the grass is growing slower that your lawn needs less care in the fall then in the summer. In fact the opposite is true. Your lawn is busy in the fall absorbing nutrients to with stand the long, cold winter season. The attention you spend caring for your lawn in the fall will show in the spring. Here are six things to think about as we begin the descending into fall.
Mowing the Lawn
You will need to keep mowing and watering your lawn throughout the fall season. As you come to an end of the fall season, once all of the leaves have dropped, take the mower blade down to the lowest setting possible. Cut the lawn twice on this setting a few weeks apart. The short grass will allow for more sun to reach the crown of grass thus there will be less of the blade to brown over the winter.
When cutting the lawn it is as important to in the fall as it is in the spring and summer to only cut about a third of the grass blade at any given time mowing. It is better to cut the lawn once completely and lower the blade setting to mow the lawn a second time for a shorter cut to get the grass short enough for the fall season.
Soil Aeration
It is crucial to aerate your lawn during the fall season. This will allow for water, fertilizer and oxygen to reach deep into the root system of the lawn. Aeration can be done with special shoes designed to punch holes in the grass or by renting a walk behind aerator. If this seems like an all too daunting task hire a lawn care maintenance company to aerate the lawn.
Leaf Care
Raking leaves has to be one of the most daunting tasks to accomplish throughout the fall season. It is also one of the most important. Don’t wait until ever last leaf has fallen to begin raking. The leaves underneath will start to get wet and stick together making a barrier that will suffocate your grass and create a large amount of fungal growth.
If raking isn’t your thing you can mow your lawn with a bagging mower and dispose of the leaves. Another option is to blow the leaves with a leaf blower. This may be the most effective way to remove leaves from your lawn. Some counties allow for leaf burning during certain periods of time. This option makes disposing of fall leaves a lot easier over the rubbish collection bags.
Lawn Fertilization
If you are only going to fertilize your lawn only once a year plan to do it during the fall season. Grass blades grow slower in the fall but the same is not true for the root system. Grass roots continue to grow quickly throughout the fall season and therefore suck in a variety of essential nutrients that they can only get through fall fertilization. This will give your lawn a healthy start in the spring.
CBA Outdoor Services is a local landscape design firm offering services throughout Livingston and Wayne Counties. For more information on the services they offer to both commercial and residential clients look online at http://cbaoutdoors.com/.