It’s time to fall into lawn care. And we’re here to help you have a soft landing. As your leaves begin to redden and the weather cools off there are some easy things you can do to help keep your yard healthy and beautiful.

It doesn’t take a green thumb or your entire weekend to prepare your yard for the impending winter and eventual spring. And the more you can accomplish before the first freeze, the better.
 

Fall Maintenance That Will Leaf You Smiling Come Spring

1. Keep Your Grass Short

Don’t put your mower up too early. We recommend keeping your grass short this time of year. How short? Two to three inches will do. And keep mowing until your grass naturally stops growing.

Be patient. Don’t shave your grass down to the dirt. This will damage your lawn and it might not make through the winter. Grass needs to be about two inches to store food to use in spring.

Why does your lawn need a fall buzz cut? When grass gets too long before winter it will mat. This can create the perfect environment for mold after snow melts.

2. Rake Up Those Leaves

Pull out those gloves and rake up fallen leaves regularly. While leaves may seem harmless, they can suffocate your grass. And they block the much-needed water and sun your grass needs to grow and stay healthy. 

3. Don’t Quit Watering Your Lawn

One common mistake homeowners make is to quit watering their grass too early. Even though the temperature drops, your grass still wants to grow, and it needs water to do so. In fact, watering your grass in fall leads to more grass growth than its spring growth.

When can you put the hose up for the year? Once we see our first frost, the grass will begin to go dormant and doesn’t need to be watered again until spring. 

4. Fertilizer Will Keep Your Grass Healthy

Fertilization is essential year-round for a healthy, green lawn. And fertilizing your yard this time of year will safeguard and protect it through winter. Be sure to test your soil to get your balance right.

Stop fertilizing the second week of October.

5. You Know Who Loves Fall? Weeds.

You can spot-treat those bunches of broadleaf weeds that pop up this time of year. You can use herbicide to stop dandelions, plantain, and clover. Remember to store your herbicide in a place that won’t get too cold. Most herbicides need to stored above 50-degrees.

6. Seeding and Sodding

Fall can be restorative for your lawn. It’s a great time to seed or sod those bare or dead areas. If your lawn is not looking its best, this is your last chance to seed in time before winter arrives.

7. Sharpen Your Mower Blades

Why should you sharpen your mower blades now? Simple. It will cut down on your spring yard chores. 

Fall Back in Love With Your Yard

As winter approaches, you can enjoy the cooler weather knowing your lawn will spring back next year. If you need assistance on getting the length of your grass just right or seeds, sod, and raking aren’t your favorite fall activities, we can help!

At The Lawnsmith, we love assisting Minneapolis homeowners with preparing for winter and keeping their lawns in tip-top shape!

Photo credit: Pixabay