How to Treat Your Lawn in the Fall

Your lawn needs extra care in the fall. With all the dead leaves, moisture, and a much colder season waiting in the wings, the plants, flowers, and grass you’ve been carefully tending over the summer might not make it past winter. To prevent that from happening, here are some practical tips on how to care for your lawn during the fall season so you will get a lush turf in time for spring.

Rake away

Golden fallen leaves may look good in a pile (tempting to jump on them, too!) but if you allow them to continue to pile up, they can make a soggy mess. Worse, they could become a breeding ground for fungi, bacteria, insects, and weeds. So if you want your garden to be thriving by springtime, make raking a regular lawn activity during autumn.

Raking also gets rid of dead material in the soil and improves the condition of your turf. You can also use a leaf blower, provided you use it before moisture sets into the fallen leaves and makes them all stick together.

Make air channels in the soil

Aerating the soil enriches it and encourages strong rooting for new plants. The good news is that, while it’s a labor-intensive gardening activity, soil aeration can be done every two years.

To make air channels in your soil, you can simply rent a gas-powered aerator which will punch holes in the turf. Or, you can use a border fork to aerate soil and a hollow tiner to extract plugs of dirt. Doing this will allow oxygen, water, and fertilizer to get down to your grass’s roots.

Get rid of weeds before they wreak havoc

If you put weeding off until the weather gets warmer, your lawn will most probably get overrun with weeds during the colder seasons. Autumn is the best time to get rid of weeds because the brisk temperature makes it more conducive for spending time outdoors. Use weed killers as you would normally, though it’s best to use them at the beginning up until the middle of the fall season.

Mow up until autumn is about to end

Many lawn owners think that during fall, grass grows slower and can be left alone. While it’s true that grass does grow more slowly in autumn, it’s also the time when it actively absorbs moisture and nutrients in preparation for when it gets colder. Mow as you would normally up until fall season is ending, when you can switch your lawn mower to its lowest setting for your last cutting. Doing this will ensure that the grass gets enough sunlight to thrive over the next season.