Fall Lawn Care Tips | Lawn & Landscaping

The Chiefs are playing. The air is crisp. Leaves are beginning to fall. And mums are everywhere. We're officially into our new season.As you prepare for many fun fall traditions, don't neglect your lawn. If you'll make the time to do a handful of key maintenance jobs to your lawn, you'll reap the rewards next spring and summer. Here are my tips for caring for your lawn this fall:

Apply Lawn Applications in Fall

Ideally, you have been rotating lawn applications throughout the entire year. Fall is the time when you want to make sure you put down your weed killers and winterization applications. Grub control is also a good idea to apply in fall. You can also use lime to reduce your soil's acidity. By winterizing your lawn, you'll have fresh, green grass next spring.

Remove Thatch & Aerate your Lawn in Fall

Removing thatch simply means raking your lawn and removing dead grass and reducing soil compaction. There are several "dethatchers" you can rent from supply stores if you're going to do it yourself. You can also rent an aerator that will allow your soil to breathe. Aerating your lawn will leave small "plugs" in your lawn, but really open up the room for the roots to grow deeper and stronger.

Don't Forget to Water your Yard in Fall

Your lawn needs about an inch of water per week. In fall, we often have a few rainy days where we can water our grass for free. However, keep your eye on the rain, and if we have a dry week, go ahead and water your lawn so that it stays hydrated.

Rake your Leaves in Fall

Raking the leaves reduces the risk of killing certain areas of grass in your lawn. Plus, many homeowners enjoy the look of a freshly raked lawn. There are several debates on the benefits/detriments to not raking your lawn. However, especially if you live in the city - make your neighbors happy and get some extra exercise by heading outside and bagging up your leaves.

Lawn Seeding in Fall

Fall and Spring are the two seasons that we recommend seeding the lawn. Fall is a great time to add grass seed to your yard. Some choose to overseed during the fall, and others use the cooler weather to fill in dead spots throughout the lawn. You can choose to seed earlier in fall, and frequently water so that you have a new batch of green grass in early spring. Or, you can choose to seed later so the seeds germinate throughout the winter and begin to grow in spring. Either way, fall is a great time to overseed your lawn.