You may think that your lawn doesn’t require much care in fall since most plants go dormant during winter. While there is some truth to this, it’s still important to care for your lawn so it’s in great condition for spring. The mild temperatures of fall make it the best season to improve the overall appearance of your yard. Fall lawn maintenance paves the way for healthy grass in spring.
Fall Lawn Maintenance Improves the Look of Your Yard
Regardless of the type of grass you have, provide the right care and maintenance to improve your property’s appearance. The fall lawn maintenance tips below will help establish new grass and strengthen your lawn’s roots.
Perform Soil Testing
Soil testing helps you understand the pH and the nutrient levels of your soil. With this information, you can choose the best fertilizer for your yard. Fertilizer helps to balance your soil’s pH and increase nutrients for a healthier and greener lawn in the coming year.
Test your soil every three to four years. Mark any problem areas on your lawn and test the soil in those locations yearly, making changes until the lawn improves.
Apply Fertilizer
Fertilizer application is helpful during fall because it strengthens roots and gives your grass the energy to sprout after the cold season. Choose a fertilizer that is rich in nitrogen and potassium, and apply it in late fall.
Nitrogen enriches your lawn with nutrients to help your plants through winter. It also supports the grass shoot, making them stronger in the spring. Potassium aids in root growth, cold resistance, protection against diseases, and drought tolerance. Be sure to keep the fertilizer away from waterways to prevent contamination.
Reseeding
It’s not unusual for grass to die on some parts of your lawn, especially areas of heavy traffic. To keep the lawn uniform, add reseeding to your fall lawn maintenance routine. When reseeding, spread seeds evenly to promote uniform germination.
Fall Lawn Maintenance: Soil Aeration
When your lawn soil is compacted, it slows grass growth and limits oxygen to the roots. Soil aeration creates openings in the soil, making it easy for air, water, and nutrients to pass through. Roots also develop better in aerated soil, so your lawn will be strong and healthy.
Weeding and Pest Control in Fall
As part of fall lawn maintenance, take care of weeding and pest control to prevent the two from undermining your hard work. You can control the weeds using fungicides, but be sure not to spray on newly reseeded areas.
When you follow the right steps and prepare your lawn for winter, it will flourish next year. If you’re not sure whether your lawn maintenance schedule is correct or don’t have the time to perform these tasks, call a professional lawn care service to help with your property.
Home Inspectors of Middle Tennessee offers home inspection services to Middle Tennessee. Contact us to schedule an appointment.