Watering and Mowing the Lawn in Fall
In the fall, grass develops strong, deep roots in preparation for the upcoming winter. Support your lawn by maintaining it as usual with regular mowing and watering. If your area receives less rain in the fall, extra watering on a dry week can boost grass growth. Additional watering is also helpful if you choose to re-seed the lawn in the fall.
Don’t Leave the Leaves
Autumn means vibrant leaves falling and blanketing the ground. However, this colorful display of the season can be damaging to a lush, green lawn. Too much leaf coverage will block the sunlight your grass needs to strengthen its roots in preparation for winter.
Remove as many leaves from your lawn as possible. There is no need to obsess over every leaf though, a few leaves mulched by your lawnmower will add nutrients to the soil. Depending on the volume of leaves collected, compost or bag them for the next scheduled yard-waste pickup day.
Fall Lawn Maintenance Includes Weeding
While you are picking up leaves, check for weeds going to seed. Young weeds can be dug up and discarded in compost, but it’s better to be cautious if the weeds are producing seeds. Carefully clip the weed and bag it with yard waste. If you get ahead of weeds during fall lawn maintenance, it makes for less work over the following seasons.
Fertilizing and Seeding Your Lawn
There are many fertilizers designed specifically for fall application. These will include nitrogen (N) and potassium (K), two of the most important nutrients for supporting fall grass growth. Organic methods of fall fertilizing include working a thin layer of compost into your lawn or using a compost tea for the grass.
Because grass can easily root during the fall, it is a good time to seed bare patches of lawn. Seeding in early fall gives the small plants enough time to grow strong roots to survive the winter. Additionally, grass planted in the fall is less likely to be damaged by the heat of the sun, compared to grass planted in spring.
A few simple activities in your fall lawn maintenance routine will nurture the growth and potential of your lawn. Removing fallen leaves, pulling weeds, fertilizing, and seeding grass in the fall makes for less work throughout the other seasons while improving your overall yard health and curb appeal.
Aarrow Home Inspections provides inspection services to customers in the Triangle Area of North Carolina. Contact us to schedule an appointment.