Once autumn arrives and the cooler temperatures start filling the air, many homeowners tend to become less attentive to their property’s lawn care in comparison to the warmer months. With winter just around the corner, this is often because homeowners assume there is little need for lawn care as their grass will soon become dormant during the upcoming season.
However, this is one of the most common lawn care mistakes you can make as a homeowner. In actuality, experts agree that fall is the most critical time of year to maintain proper lawn care. By giving your lawn the appropriate TLC during the fall, you are setting yourself up to reap healthy, lush, green grass once spring arrives. The reason for this is because fall’s warm days, cool nights, and moist weather provide the ideal environment for grass roots to mature in time for a successful spring.
Unsure what steps to take to properly care for your lawn this fall? Have no fear. Today on the blog, we break down the top fall maintenance lawn care tips and tricks you need to know to ensure a huge payoff come spring.
Step 1: Remove Leaves Regularly
The Problem
While the rich colors of fallen autumn leaves may look picturesque spread across your property, they are actually quite harmful to the overall health of your lawn. Specifically, fallen leaves block the ability for sunlight to provide much-needed nourishment to your grass. Furthermore, it can create an environment that traps a high amount of moisture, potentially leading to lawn fungal disease.
The Solution
Clear away the leaves on your lawn often. While the recommended frequency differs according to factors such as the amount of trees on your property, it’s wise to get rid of them almost immediately after they’ve fallen. Don’t make the mistake of assuming you’re in the clear after all of the leaves have fallen from your trees, either. Oftentimes, leaves will be blown onto your grass due to winds from adjacent properties. Even seemingly small stockpiles can create eyesores of dead grass in the spring.
In addition to removing damaging leaves, raking can help clear away unhealthy levels of thatch (which is the layer of roots, stems, and debris that forms between the grass and soil). Thatch of a ½ inch in thickness or less is considered healthy. However, growing beyond that can be dangerous as it restricts the ability of important components such as air, water, and fertilizer to reach the roots. While a leaf blower or leaf vacuum can clear your property, a rake or dethatcher is needed to maintain a healthy thatch level.
Recommended Equipment and Tools
- Leaf blower, leaf vacuum, or rake to remove leaves
- Rake or dethatcher to maintain appropriate thatch levels
- Truck bed or flatbed to haul away leaves
Step 2: Mow Frequently
The Problem
Once fall hits, homeowners can be tempted to stop mowing their lawn as their grass is not growing as rapidly as the summer months. However, your grass will continue to grow until the first frost hits in the winter, so it’s important to maintain regular mowing during the fall.
The Solution
There is no set time period of how often you should mow in the fall due to the amount of variables such as your grass type and local weather environment. However, a good rule of (green) thumb is to ensure you regularly mow your lawn to the recommended height of 2½ to 3 inches. If you allow your grass to grow above the suggested height, it causes your property to become vulnerable to future damage from winter weather such as ice and snow.
While overgrown grass can bring harmful consequences, cutting it too short can be equally as detrimental. Mowing below 2½ inches can affect root depth, which in turn can impact how your lawn performs against harsh winter temperatures and dryness.
Recommended Equipment and Tools
Step 3: Water Often
The Problem
While fall does in fact offer more rain, increased dew, and less evaporation to provide natural moisture for your property, that doesn’t mean you should stop watering your lawn during this season. It can be tempting to forgo this task as you’re not continually experiencing the soaring, dry temperatures like the summer. However, regular fall watering is necessary in order to keep your grass properly hydrated in preparation for the colder months.
The Solution
A simple way to check if your lawn is receiving the proper amount of moisture is to purchase a rain gauge. Your lawn should be receiving at least 1 inch of water weekly. If you’re finding your lawn is in need of a watering, maintain your sprinkler or irrigation system in the fall to reach the appropriate levels.
Recommended Equipment and Tools
- Rain gauge
- Sprinkler or irrigation system
Step 4: Aerate Your Lawn
The Problem
Aeration is the process of poking small holes into the soil in order to allow air, water, and important nutrients to reach the grass roots. In essence, it helps loosen the soil and prevents the ability for a dangerous amount of thatch to build up. Without aeration, you will deprive your lawn of the necessary nutrients it needs to stand up against challenging weather and ultimately affect its overall health.
The Solution
It’s generally recommended that you aerate your lawn once every three years. Fall is an ideal time to complete this task as it will provide beautiful, green grass once spring arrives. Additionally, aerating in the fall is preferred due to the amiable weather conditions. Aerating in the spring, conversely, can increase the amount of weeds on your property due to its warmer climate. Furthermore, aerate your lawn before you fertilize. The small holes generated through aeration will allow fertilizer to travel right to the roots for the greatest impact.
Recommended Equipment and Tools
Step 5: Add Fertilizer
The Problem
It’s widely agreed that fall is the single best time of the year to fertilize your lawn. For one, it helps build up your lawn’s ability to stand up against the upcoming harsh winter weather with much-needed nutrients. By forgoing fall fertilizing, you will not only impact your lawn’s stamina to combat colder temperatures, but you will decrease how quickly your grass will bounce back in the spring.
The Solution
As mentioned above, fertilize soon after you aerate your lawn in the fall so these important nutrients can travel more easily to the roots for maximum results. It’s also recommended to fertilize about two to three weeks from when the ground first freezes (typically in late fall). Additionally, the best time of day is the morning or evening as fertilizer works better during cooler temperatures. The moisture from dew can also help absorb the fertilizer more successfully.
Recommended Equipment and Tools
- Measuring wheel (to determine how much fertilizer you’ll need)
- Lawn spreader
- Fertilizer
- Hose or sprinkler (to mix the nutrients into the soil)
Step 6: Spread Seed
The Problem
It’s likely that the hot, dry temperatures of summer created patches of bare or thinning grass across your property. In order to repair damages so your grass grows in evenly come spring, it’s important to seed your lawn in the fall. However, it’s also a good idea to overseed. Meaning, spread seed across your entire property (not just the obvious areas in need). This will allow your lawn to build up resiliency against the harsh winter weather and protect weeds from growing in the future.
The Solution
Fall is the optimal time to seed because of the favorable weather. The ground is warm (yet not too hot), there is increased moisture, and the nights are cool. All of these factors contribute to an environment conducive for seeding. However, seeding can be one of the most tedious tasks of lawn care maintenance. That’s because, unfortunately, you cannot simply spread the seed and expect results. In order for seeds to take hold, they must touch the soil, have enough moisture to germinate, and then grow just enough before winter hits.
A seeder is a necessary tool for this task. Options include a slicer seeder (which is approximately the size of a lawn mower and drops seeds into the soil by making small holes on the turf) or a broadcast seeder (which looks like a wheelbarrow and drops seeds onto the soil without penetrating the surface) depending on preference.
Recommended Equipment and Tools
There you have it—the six steps needed for proper lawn care this fall. However, timing is everything. It’s important to follow these steps in the order indicated above before the weather starts becoming chillier to ensure healthy, green grass in the future.
While you may own some of the equipment necessary for these tasks (such as mowers and rakes), it’s likely you’re in need of the more specialized tools (for example, aerators and seeders). A quick, easy, and cost-effective solution is to rent. Wildcat Rental is here to help with an array of lawn and landscaping tools. Call us at (417) 753-8665 or visit the Wildcat Rental experts today so you can begin the fall landscaping punch list to ensure your property will be the envy of the block this spring.
