Caring for your turf may seem like a scary fall activity, especially when unsure of the best way to promote a healthy, thick lawn in the spring and summer months. Unfortunately, many homeowners make fall lawn care mistakes before dormancy and don’t understand why their lawn looks bad in the spring. Fortunately, our Johnson City lawn care maintenance pros at Promier Landscapes share on the blog today seven easy tips for your fall lawn care so that you are no longer spooked.
1. Remove leaves
Although Autumn leaves may be beautiful and fun to play in, they aren’t healthy for grass. Fallen leaves trap moisture and block light from the turf below, resulting in potential mold growth. Therefore, our lawn care experts in Bristol recommend raking or blowing leaves off your lawn to prevent long-term damage. Once trees are bare, continue removing leaves from your property’s corners where they pile up from the wind. Failing to remove leaves will cause the grass underneath to become soggy and decayed.
2. Continue mowing
Although grass growth slows throughout the fall months, it’s important to continue mowing your lawn. Therefore, our Kingsport lawn maintenance company recommends that homeowners mow their grass with a maximum blade length of two inches. Unfortunately, grass blades that are too long may cause matting and increase fungi growth like snow mold. On the other hand, mowing your grass too short can cause root damage and may risk your lawn’s health.
3. Water thoroughly
Your turf endures drought conditions and heat during summer. One of the most common property owner pitfalls is they stop watering their lawn after the weather turns cooler. However, our Tri-Cities landscape pros explain that allowing nature to water your grass can be a mistake as weather patterns may not provide enough moisture to keep grass roots hydrated throughout winter. Lawns that don’t receive one inch of water per week through natural resources can benefit from daily watering through the end of October.
4. Loosen soil
Soil tightly compacted or covered with thatch can restrict your turf’s water and nutrient absorption. Lawn aeration can increase your lawn’s growth and thickness because it opens small areas where sunlight, water, and nutrients can reach grass roots. Our landscaping experts in Johnson City explain that aerating your lawn before fertilizing can maximize fertilization and improve grass health and growth.
5. Fertilize
Fertilizing your lawn before winter can help prevent grass roots from freezing and give the plants enough energy to emerge from hibernation. Chlorophyll helps plants create sugars that sustain them during the winter when there’s not enough nitrogen in the soil. Therefore, our Bristol lawn maintenance pros recommend late fall fertilization with a slow-release granular fertilizer. However, our experts caution about using fertilizer too close to waterways as it can contaminate the water source. So, when fertilizing your lawn, maintain a 5-foot buffer around water.
6. Overseeding
Some lawns thin out as grass plants die and leave your property vulnerable to a weed infestation. Overseeding your lawn can help fill in thin areas or bare patches with the latest drought-tolerant, resilient grass types and choke out pesky weeds. Our lawn care pros in Kingsport explain that fall is the best season to overseed because the soil is warm, moisture is bountiful, the sun is less intense during the day, and nights are cooler.
7. Stay on schedule
Preparing your lawn for the winter and upcoming spring seasons requires a timely process, or you waste your efforts, time, and money. For example, overseeding late may cause the seedlings to be too tender to survive winter temperatures. Also, fertilizing too early may result in tender blades that get damaged by the winter cold. Therefore, our landscaping experts in the Tri-Cities area recommend staying on schedule with your fall lawn care for the best results.
Lawn maintenance in Kingsport, Johnson City, and Bristol, Tennessee
Fall lawn care activities may spook you and prevent quality care for your turf. Following the above tips can increase your lawn’s success when it emerges from the dormant winter months. However, if fall lawn care activities scare you, our Kingsport landscaping company, Promier Landscapes, can care for your lawn and prepare it for a bountiful spring season. If you have questions about fall lawn care practices or would like to schedule lawn maintenance, please call our office at (423) 872-2988 or contact us online today.