Fall Lawn Care Essentials
As temperatures cool, fall is a critical time for lawn recovery and preparation for winter dormancy. Your focus should be on strengthening roots, repairing summer damage, and setting the stage for a vibrant spring.
Continue Mowing and Gradually Mow Low: Continue to mow regularly as grass growth slows down. For your final cuts of the season, gradually lower your mower setting. This helps prevent snow mold over winter and allows more sunlight to reach the crown of the grass.
Clean Up Fallen Leaves Regularly: This is paramount in the fall. Rake up fallen leaves regularly to prevent them from smothering the grass, blocking sunlight, and creating conditions for fungal diseases like snow mold.
Aerate (Again!): If your lawn experiences heavy foot traffic or has dense soil, fall is another excellent time to aerate. This improves drainage, alleviates compaction, and ensures vital oxygen, water, and nutrients reach the roots before winter.
Overseed: Fall is often considered the absolute best time to overseed. The cooler temperatures, increased moisture, and still-warm soil provide ideal conditions for new grass seeds to germinate and establish themselves robustly before the severe cold sets in.
Apply Winterizer Fertilizer: Use a high-potassium (winterizer) fertilizer. Potassium strengthens the grass roots, improves its cold tolerance, and enhances its ability to withstand winter stress, leading to a quicker and greener emergence in spring.
Apply Post-Emergent Weed Control: Fall is an effective time to apply post-emergent herbicides for stubborn perennial weeds. As weeds are transporting nutrients to their roots for winter storage, the herbicide can be more readily absorbed and carried throughout the plant.
Winterize Irrigation System: Before the first hard freeze, it's crucial to properly winterize your irrigation system. This involves shutting off the water supply and blowing out all water from the lines to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting, which can cause significant damage.