Fall Lawn Care Tips

Taking care of the grass is totally my husbands department, but I know some of you do it all, so here’s a quick and dirty guide on fall lawn care and prepping your lawn for winter:

First, now that it is cooler, lower your lawn blade {keeping your lawn blade higher in the summer protects fragile roots from too much heat}.  Leaving it too high for winter creates an awesome hideout for mice and other rodents–which repay you by destroying your lawn.

Fall is also a great time to aerate your lawn.  An aerator is pretty inexpensive–and goes a really long way when you get a group of neighbors who want to go half-sies with you.  It will also prep your lawn to receive a winter feeding.  Fertilizing the lawn before winter gives the grass a much needed boost to ensure strong roots the following year.

If you have thin or bald spots in your lawn, fall is perfect for seeding.  The weather is cool, and you don’t have to worry about a spike in heat that will affect germination.  Make sure to rake in your seed to improve germination too.

If you have trees with leaves, make sure to rake them up and get them off of the lawn.  Leaving them there through the winter can lead to fungus and other diseases in the grass.  Imagine the leaves being a blanket that creates a hotbed for unwanted disease.  Rake ’em up and compost them, if you like, just make sure to get them off the lawn.

Finally, make sure to think about weed control.  Destroying them now, whether with an organic weed killer or by hand, will make your job A LOT easier come spring.  All weeds do is compete for nutrients anyway, filthy beggars.

That basically the 411 on fall lawn care around this house.  Is there anything you do differently?

~Mavis