Well, it’s that time again.. Summer’s over and it’s time to start thinking about the winter months (boo!) Which means you should start preparing your lawn for the winter. Fall lawn care is of the utmost importance as it helps transition your lawn from fall growth to winter dormancy, and ultimately to a healthy growth in the spring.
To get your lawn in tip top shape, here are some tips:
- Mow less frequently, but at a shorter height. Most lawns will stay healthy in the fall if cut to a height of about 2 to 2 1/2 inches, as opposed to 3-4 inches during the summer.
- Cut back on the fertilizer. You still want to fertilizer, just with something that “winterizes”. These fertilizers will have less Nitrogen in relation to Phosphorous and Potassium. Nitrogen promotes top growth, which is why you use more of it during the summer. Phosphorous promotes root growth, which is what you want for your lawn to stay healthy throughout the winter and make a swift comeback in the spring.
- Apply a broadleaf pre-emergent treatment. You can get "weed and feed" products that will help control winter and spring weeds, and give your lawn fall fertilizer.
- Overseed and water bare patches to spruce up your lawn. Areas overseeded in the fall will look good as new in the spring. Mow the overseeded areas once they are at least three inches tall. Keep these areas trimmed so that the grass does not succumb to a fungal problem during the winter.
- If your lawn gets a lot of foot traffic (particularly if you have kids!), contract with a landscaping professional to aerate the lawn and top-dress it with compost. This will cut down on thatch problems and compaction, which will keep your lawn healthier and more resilient to insect, pest and disease damage.
- Spot weed control is important in the fall. Before the ground freezes, dig up larger weeds with taproots (dandelions, in particular) before they have a chance to establish further and burst into bloom in the spring.
- Fall is a good time to aerate and top-dress with compost. Aeration encourages root growth, water and air penetration.