Winter is coming…is your lawn ready? Just like the rest of nature, your lawn needs to be properly cared for during the fall as we prepare for the eventual winter months. Fall is a good time to wind down from the hot summer days and enjoy the outdoors before it gets too cold – so we lined up 5 good reasons to keep up with your lawn care throughout the autumn months.
- Keep Cutting
Just because we’re in the thick of fall, the leaves are falling, and the weather is (finally) starting to drop, that doesn’t mean it’s time to hide your mower in the barn. As a matter of fact, your grass will continue to grow right up to the first frost of winter, and you don’t want to have long grass that’s susceptible to fungi like snow mold once the cold hits.
- Remove Leaves
Who doesn’t love the beauty that is the color change of the leaves? While they are pretty to view driving through the mountains on sunny Saturday, they’ll eventually fall off and be an enemy of your lawn. A blanket of leaves can block out the light and moisture that your lawn needs to survive, so either rake and bag or attach a leaf vacuum to your mower for larger lawns for an efficient way to discard fallen leaves.
- H20
Speaking of moisture, just because it’s getting colder out doesn’t mean your lawn isn’t still a little thirsty. Pay attention to the amount of rain you’re getting up until the temperatures get to a frost in the morning, as you may need to continue keeping the sprinklers or irrigation systems in place until then. Once Jack Frost starts poking his nose then you’ll want to remove them to avoid any frozen pipes.
- Soil
It’s a good idea to periodically aerate you soil – something many home owners tend to never think about. Every few years, debris like sticks, stems, and roots begins to cover and compact on top of your soil, preventing much needed moisture and oxygen from penetrating the soil properly. If you aerate the soil, which is a system of punching holes in the ground and creating openings for the soil to reach its nutrients, you’ll prevent this thatch from forming and have a much happier lawn.
- Fertilizer
Finally, let’s not forget about how important fertilizer is for your lawn and soil. Just as we all need protection from the chilly winter elements, so does your soil. A late fall application of fertilizer can help give it the proper protection (not to mention the nutrients it needs to get through the winter) and get the grass ready for spring. Remember to not get to close to waterways (runoff can cause pollution).
