It’s Not Winter Yet! Your Lawn Still Needs Work!

What a beautiful time! The weather is cool enough to be outdoors (but without a puffy coat!), Starbucks has released PSL, and the leaves that coat the ground are still colorful and crisp. But those leaves bring us to a point.

Fall is often unfairly labeled a season of death. In reality, much does well in fall, and it would be more accurate to call fall a season of rest and renewal. Fall lawn maintenance provides a perfect example.

Like many plants in your landscape, your lawn is still alive in the fall. And it still needs maintenance and preparation for the harsher months ahead.

Don’t worry if you need help figuring out what to do because Beavers are nature’s planners, and we’re here to discuss exactly what you need.

The Harvest & Bounty

Now is traditionally the time for harvesting plants, canning them, and preserving them. That’s because many plants are coming to the end of their life cycle but haven’t died yet. That makes autumn a time to plan for the colder month and reflect on what’s passed and is yet to come.

But many plants do well throughout the fall. Peppers, garlic, onions, and kale all thrive. In addition, other plants, such as mums and asters, are at their most vivid this time of year.

Dormancyfall lawn maintenance in Elkhart INDIANA

Of course, many parts of your landscape don’t die but don’t bloom either. You don’t need to plant new trees and shrubs every spring. And all your perennials lie dormant over the winter but don’t die.

Your lawn is much like those perennials. The winter is a time for it to sleep. You may see its color change, but you know once spring comes, your grass will be growing again, ideally anyway.

Fall Lawn Maintenance: Preparing For Winter

There are a few things to do for your lawn to survive the winter and be healthy in the spring. Some of those are regular lawn care, but other tasks are specific to the fall. Here is your Fall Lawn Maintenance To-do List.

Lawn Care

Here’s the stuff you know! Lawn care in the fall is similar to lawn care during the rest of the growing season. It includes mowing, trimming, edging, and blowing out the grass.

The place where lawn care is different is the length of cutting. You can cut most grass a little bit shorter in the fall. That said, it’s important not to cut it too short.

Cut Height & Final Cut

When you cut the grass too short in the warmer months, you risk “scalping” it, which causes it to burn in the sun. This is less of an issue in the fall, so you can cut it shorter.

Before the first frost, your lawn must get its final cut. It’s crucial to cut the grass short enough, so it doesn’t collapse and smother itself but not so low that the grass blades don’t protect the root from freezing.

Aerationfall lawn maintenance in Elkhart INDIANA

One of the essential fall-specific lawn maintenance tasks is aeration. The summer packs your dirt tight as you and your guests use the yard more, compacting the soil. But unfortunately, that dense dirt is not suitable for plant growth.

We solve that issue by adding space to the soil with an aerator. Professional aeration pokes holes and then pulls up plugs of the earth, giving room for water, seeds, nutrients, and everything a plant needs to grow.

Overseeding

Aeration should be followed by overseeding the lawn. Adding seeds will help to establish new grass to replace any of the grass that has died. The fall is an excellent time for that since it gives the grass an extra season to establish itself instead of planting it during the warmer months.

In addition, aeration creates the perfect conditions for new seeds to grow. That’s why we always pair aeration with overseeding.

Seasonal Cleanup

Cleaning up your yard is a constant process that should be performed as part of landscaping. But a few times a year, it’s a good idea to have a more major cleanup where we are more detail-oriented.

The fall is an excellent time for seasonal cleanup. First, we collect leaves in the fall, as there are many of them! But it’s also the time to remove dead annuals and prune perennials and shrubs.

Finally, part of the seasonal cleanup is also re-mulching your flower beds. In the context of fall lawn maintenance, that will help prevent your lawn from encroaching on your flowers. But it’s also generally a good idea as it keeps those flowers insulated!

Don’t Let Your Lawn Fall Into Disrepair

You are so close to the end of the mowing season now. Don’t let the lawn fall into disrepair six feet from the finish line. If you have a fall lawn maintenance question, let us know: we’re here to help!