What Do I need to Do To Get My Yard Ready for Fall?

Fall is here! Yay! You may noticing the leaves beginning to fall and wondering what to do before winter comes. Fall and winter prep can be a lot of fun. There are things that you can do now to get your yard ready and still enjoy it. You don't want to wait too long to prepare. Just because you may not be as focused on your lawn as you were in the summer, doesn't mean that it doesn't need continued care.

How to get your yard ready for fall and winter:

Keep mowing

While the grass growth will begin to slow down, continue to water and mow your lawn to keep it in better shape. For the last two cuttings of the season, drop the blades about an inch. This will let more sunlight to the crown of the grass and there will be less to turn brown during the winter.

Plant bulbs now

Fall is the best time to plant shrubs, trees, perennials and flowering bulbs. They will have a few months to establish themselves. Bulbs are truly the hidden gems of color in the landscape.

Remove leaves as often as possible

A carpeting of leaves is not good for your grass. These leaves can block light and trap moisture, which can mean the grass will be dead come spring. Make sure to remove them as often as possible to keep them from getting trapped on the grass when snow hits. Don't get caught in the trap of just mowing them up. this creates a layer of unneeded thatch that can hold excess moisture during the winter months.

Aerate and then overseed your lawn

Fall is the perfect time to aerate your lawn to make sure that water, oxygen and fertilizer are able to easily reach the roots of the grass. Once it's aerated, sprinkle your yard with a bunch of grass seed. (If you have St Augustine or Centipede over seeding is not possible.) It's the best time of year to do this because the temperature is cool enough for the seed to germinate and get established for the following year.

Apply fertilizer

Early fall is a great time to apply fertilizer as well. The plant sugars protect roots from freezing and give the entire plant the energy it's going to need in order to bounce back in the spring.

By making sure not to neglect your yard this fall, you will have an even better start as everything thaws out come spring. Not able to do things on your own? We can help! Contact us today to get your lawn ready for fall.