4 Fall Yard Care Tips
Even the name of the season let’s you know what’s going to happen. But piles of leaves aren’t the only things you’ll need to deal with this autumn. Here are a few more fall lawn care tips to get your yard in shape:
Remove Leaves
This one’s obvious, so let’s just cover why it’s important.
- Raking or blowing away leaves and debris provides grass with more sunlight. Leaves can also trap moisture, which can cause diseases and kill your lawn or plants.
- Removing leaves also keeps insects from nesting and breeding. Always a good thing.
Nourish your lawn
In the spring, it’s a good idea to prep your lawn for summer. Same idea here, except now it’s time to prepare for the cold. With a little nourishment, your lawn will be ready to stand up to Old Man Winter’s wrath.
- Aerate your lawn to loosen any compacted soil, allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots.
- Use a fall lawn fertilizer to enrich your lawn. (Think of your grass like a bear, feed it now so it can hibernate through the winter.)
- Over-seed your lawn to strengthen roots and keep your grass healthy and green.
Drain Irrigation Lines
The end of fall is the end of the irrigation season. To ensure your system is functional come springtime, better shut it down for the winter.
- Completely drain your lawn’s irrigation system. If you don’t, it could freeze over in the winter. Frozen lines mean expensive repairs.
- Only use compressed air or drain valves. Any other method is less effective.
- Remember to also drain your home’s main supply line. Easy to overlook, not so easy to remedy if you forget.
Continue Mowing
With all that fall nourishment, your lawn is going to continue to grow. So, make sure to take a little of the top, regularly.
- Lower your mower’s cutting height for the fall. Ideally, the grass should be 2-2 ½ inches.
- Be sure not to cut too short, which weakens roots. Leaving it too long could mat the grass, too, leaving it vulnerable to fungi.
- Vary your mowing pattern so your grass grows straighter, instead of slanting the way it’s always cut.
Preparing your yard for fall will save you time and effort (and potentially a lot of money) during the winter. Just follow fall yard care tips above, and enjoy the change of season.
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