Taking the time now to prep your lawn and garden for winter will ensure a beautiful start to the spring. It may seem hard to believe that frosty weather is right around the corner. The unseasonably warm temps we’ve been experiencing lately trick us into believing it’s never going to happen. But it’s coming! Take advantage of the nice days we have left to get working on the must-do list we’ve put together to get your lawn and garden ready for what Mother Nature has in store.
In the first of our three-part fall prep series, we’re breaking down how to give your lawn some love!
- Fall is the optimal time to fertilize cool season grasses and is essential for a lush, green lawn in the spring. As the weather cools down, your grass is recovering from the stressors of summer. Heat, drought and disease take their toll. Providing it with a good fertilizer will boost your lawn’s stamina to better survive the cold months ahead. Nitr
ogen promotes growth and green, phosphorus supports root development and potassium serves to protect against the cold, insects and disease. - If bare spots on your lawn are an issue, over-seeding is the solution. The best time to over-seed is typically six to eight weeks before the first hard freeze to develop a strong root system.
- Aeration is the process of removing plugs from your lawn that consist of turf, thatch, roots and soil. This process is done to alleviate compaction and results in new root growth and better nutrient absorption. For more in-depth information on these important lawn improvement
processes, check out this previous post. - Falling leaves are certainly a beautiful sight during the autumn season, but the mess they create is anything but! Thick layers of wet leaves become compacted and can cause disease and suffocate the grass underneath. Get ahead of the game by raking, using a leaf-blower or mulching the leaves with your lawn mower.
- It’s important to continue to water and mow your lawn in the fall. The last couple of mows of the season, drop the blade on your mower (no more that 1/3rd the height of the grass blades). By lowering the height of the grass, you allow sun to reach the crown of the grass resulting in less browning and mold in the winter.
As you can see, there is a lot of work to be done to get ready for the frosty temperatures heading our way in the not-so-distant future. Take advantage of a nice day here and there to check these things off your list before your landscape settles down for its long winter’s nap.
Need some help? We have only a couple of spots open for our fall clean-up services. Contact us for a quote today!