If you are a homeowner, your lawn has been relatively unscathed by the scorching temps and bright sun this summer. Soon it will be time to put away the lawnmower and close up shop for the year, right? Well, hold on a second. A common mistake that many homeowners make when it comes to lawn care involves the consistency of care throughout the year- especially in Autumn. In addition to spring and summer lawn care, homeowners need to prepare their lawn for autumn and winter.
In order to protect your lawn, your yard needs to be able to withstand the frigid temperatures of winter in order to achieve healthy growth next season. Follow the steps below to get your lawn ready for the colder seasons:
Rake the Debris
For a healthy yard, make sure to remove fallen leaves and debris as soon as possible. Raking will improve the look of your lawn and will improve the health of your yard. Wet leaves, crumpled leaf bits, moss, and more debris will suffocate your grass, promote fungal diseases, and limit the amount of sunlight your yard receives.
Fertilize your lawn
Your lawn requires fertilization in order for the roots to continue growing and storing nutrients until the spring season. As the weather cools off, grass leaves will grow more slowly, but roots will continue to grow rapidly. It’s best to fertilize your lawn in late Autumn because it will deliver essential nutrients for grass roots to grow deeply, and will reserve nutrients for the spring.
Control the Weeds
Like excessive debris, weeds can take over your lawn and suck all the nutrients away from your otherwise healthy lawn. Those extra nutrients will be especially important for your lawn during the winter. Before the first frost, apply an herbicide so that weeds won’t flourish in the spring.
Power Seeding
In order to increase turf density—which is the best natural defense against insect and weed damage—power seed your yard to improve its health and protect its overall performance. Power seeding is an excellent thing to do for your lawn in Autumn because it helps ease the lawn into a recovery period after a long summer of constant use.
At Land Concepts, we use a treatment called hydroseeding. This spray method of power seeding is more cost effective than sod and a better option than dry seeding. If you have a large area to develop before the frost hits, contact us for more information.
Aerate your Soil
Aeration can help prevent your grass from becoming compacted due to heavy foot traffic and use over the summer. Aerating the grass will also promote oxygen movement, nutrient growth, and will allow water to reach your lawn’s roots. You should aim to aerate your lawn every two years for efficient protection and growth.
If these tasks seem too daunting, or you just don’t have access to the proper equipment, reach out to the professionals at Land Concepts. We will remove all leaves and debris around your home or business (as well as any other buildings), out from under shrubs, in rock beds, under patios, or along sidewalks or driveways. We perform a final trimming around all objects on your property, leaving a lawn that is ready for the winter.
For ideas and resources, visit our Lawn Maintenance page or contact us directly at (320) 656-8992.
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