Fall can bring a host of new chores, especially if you have a lawn you like to keep looking neat. If you’re running late for your fall lawn care as we head towards winter, don’t fret: We’ve got just the tips for you to get your lawn ready for the season ahead. A recent CNET survey found that 53% of US adults are cutting back on nonessential spending, and if that sounds like you, doing your own lawn care might be worth adding to that list.
In a recent Reddit thread about lawn care advice for first-time homeowners, the focus was on how it can be overwhelming to handle fall yard maintenance, especially when you have a neglected lawn with weeds and bare spots. Experienced users noted that it’s best to start with simple observation and maintenance instead of diving headfirst into major projects.
If you’ve got neglected grass on your hands and have found yourself mowing your lawn with reckless abandon in the past, you can take action now to help your yard survive the winter and flourish in the new year. With some help from two experts at Lowe’s and Scotts, we’ve put together this guide with four steps on how to kickstart your lawn care.
1. Feed your lawn twice this fall
A fertilizer spreader is great for ensuring an even distribution across your lawn and is also helpful when spreading grass seed.
Going to sleep for months without proper food would not bode well for anything, including your lawn. Ensuring it is properly nourished is vital to its health year-round, but especially in the fall and winter.
According to Matt Koch, the director of biotechnology, genetics and seed at Scotts, you want to apply two fall fertilizer feedings. Doing so can help strengthen the grass and repair the roots damaged by the summer heat.
Worm composting can generate great fertilizer for your garden and house plants.
It’s also a great time to get rid of weeds before they go into hibernation. Applying a fertilizer like Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard in early fall both feeds the lawn and kills weeds, so you’re ahead of the game come spring.
After about six to eight weeks, Koch suggests applying another fertilizer designed to support your lawn during winter so it can store energy for spring growth. He recommends doing this two to three weeks before the first expected frost.
2. Reseed bare spots and aerate your yard
Bare spots in your yard can come from various reasons, but with a little effort and the right seed, you can fix it up in no time.
Overall, my lawn is in good shape. However, after some work I had done on my home, there are areas where the grass has been torn up. Fall is a great time to fix those spots and any other places in your yard where grass has died or if you just want to overseed for a more lush yard.
According to Lowe’s lawncare expert Brian Shaunfield, fall is the perfect time to reseed bare spots or aerate since lawns tend to receive less activity as the weather cools. This time of year doesn’t always have good rainfall, so you’ll need to be sure you are watering your seed frequently to help it get ready for the change of seasons.
An aerator is the perfect tool to help break up a compacted yard to let the grass grow better.
Brian recommends using Scotts Turf Builder Rapid Grass to repair larger areas of your yard. This mix is also great for thickening up an already-established yard. For smaller patches, try Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Sun and Shade, which is designed to grow pretty much anywhere as long as it is properly cared for.
In yards that have been well-established or areas with a lot of traffic, the ground can become compacted, making it difficult for grassroots to grow properly. This is where aerating your lawn can be beneficial. There are several tools for this job, but a simple push aerator like the Gardenised Spike Lawn Aerator can take care of it just fine.
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3. Cut your grass shorter before winter
Ego Power+ sells a popular line of electric lawn mowers.
During the heat of summer, when the rain stops coming down and the ground is dry, it’s a good idea to keep your lawn longer –around 4 inches. As the season changes to cooler temperatures and more favorable weather, we need to keep mowing the grass but make some alterations to how we mow.
Koch says it’s important to cut your grass to about 2 to 2.5 inches, but not all at once. Gradually lower your mower’s deck or program your robot lawnmower to cut shorter as it gets closer to winter. This helps reduce the risk of disease and allows the grass to store energy more effectively. However, cutting it too short has the opposite effect.
4. Rake your leaves to allow grass to breathe
Fall is also when leaves on the trees begin to turn shades of orange, yellow and red. Eventually, that beautiful foliage will end up on the ground. While decaying leaves can act as a natural fertilizer, as many people on Reddit threads for lawn care have noted, too much can be a problem.
When layers of fallen leaves become too thick, they can smother smaller plants and grass. Plus, an abundance of leaves on your patio is an excellent place for insects to build homes — and you don’t want that near your home.
Using a good leaf rake or leaf blower to clean up your leaves is a great way to get them off your delicate plants. If you have a good lawnmower that mulches, then mowing over your leaves to leave a thin layer on your lawn is ok, but too thick can be detrimental. These leaves can be combined with compost to act as a natural fertilizer and mulch to help warm some plants, like perennials and evergreen roots.
One of the best things you can do for the health of your lawn in the fall in addition to raking your leaves is to get rid of the weeds.
As long as you lay the fertilizer before the ground freezes, typically yes. However, this will depend on the area you live in and your soil temperature. Doing so can help with root development and assist your grass in preparing for the winter.
Yes, your lawn still needs water in the fall, especially if you’ve reseeded bare spots. New grass seed needs frequent watering to make sure it germinates properly. For maintained lawns, you can water less often than during the summer but be sure not to let the grass completely dry out, particularly during dry fall periods. You can stop watering once the ground freezes.
