Prepping your lawn for fall weather is a series of calculated and timely decisions. Unfortunately, for many homeowners, life gets busy with kids going back to school and the holidays swiftly landing on calendars.
While many homeowners know they need to take care of their lawn before the first freeze, they run out of time—leaving their lawns susceptible to disease and pests.
Turf Managers can help you get the best lawn year-round. Of course, we can do the services for you, but we’re firm believers in educating homeowners, too. Here’s what you need to know to prep your lawn for a healthy fall transition.
Why is Late Summer Lawn Revival Important?
Middle Tennessee heat and humidity wear out your lawn. Even with frequent watering and maintenance, Mother Nature takes its toll on your lawn. Spending some extra time at the end of summer to care for your lawn will strengthen it for the following year.
Prep Your Lawn for Fall Weather
Whether you have a small, medium, or large lawn, prepping it for the fall weather will go a long way. Use this checklist to get your lawn right for the cooler weather:
- Keep the soil moist with short watering sessions
- Pull weeds (root and all) when the soil is moist
- Aerate your lawn to improve overall soil health
- Overseed for a thicker lawn in the spring
- Fertilization (10-10-10 method)
- Leaf removal to prevent mold and fungi from growing
- Slowly reduce mowing frequency and height
Going through this checklist ensures your lawn is prepped for the cold weather and will come back even stronger in the spring. Don’t ignore brown patches in your lawn as sunburnt spots. Chances are that damage comes from the soil.
Each of these steps repairs damage from the summer, pests, and diseases. And over time, your lawn will strengthen and be beautifully green all year round with consistent maintenance.
Prep Your Trees and Shrubs for Fall Weather
Don’t ignore your trees and shrubs in preparation for fall. With cooler weather around the corner, it’s essential you prepare your trees, bushes, and shrubs. Follow this checklist to get ready for fall:
- Rake around trees and shrubs to avoid mold and diseases
- Fertilize for strong growth next spring
- Prune trees and shrubs to encourage new, healthy growth next season
- Spread fresh mulch to protect the roots from harsh winters
Similar to your lawn, caring for your trees and shrubs in preparation for fall yields amazing results next season. Instead of fighting diseases and pests at the start of spring, you can enjoy the beautiful blooms and aromas in your yard. The difference is in your preparation this fall.
Avoid These Lawn Care Errors This Fall
So far, we’ve covered everything you can do to prep your yard for the incoming cooler weather. And while there are plenty of things you can do, it’s equally important you don’t do certain things.
Error #1: Overwatering Your Grass
As temperatures start cooling down, you need to adjust your watering schedule. You want moist soil, not sopping wet mud cakes. Since the water won’t evaporate as quickly, it’s best to adjust your watering schedule to more infrequent sessions—1–3 times a week until you’ve watered 1–1.5” total.
If you’re not sure how moist your lawn is, dig a small hole with a gardening shovel to check the moisture level about 6” below the surface.
Error #2: Leaving Debris in Your Yard
Don’t leave leaves, branches, and other organic matter on your lawn over the fall and winter. Those materials decompose and will introduce pests and disease to your lawn. Although those materials are great for compost piles, they’ll kill your lawn if left on the grass. Remove all debris as soon as possible.
Error #3: Ignoring Soil Health
Your grass can only grow as strong as the soil it’s in. Conduct a sample soil test to learn your soil’s pH level. Your soil is constantly communicating with you—green and springy is strong grass, but brown and brittle is weak grass. Ignoring soil health is a recipe for disaster.
Error #4: Skipping Fall Fertilization
Your lawn will need different nutrients throughout the year. When prepping for fall, many homeowners forget to fertilize their lawn… or they fertilize their lawn with the wrong stuff. If you take a soil pH test, you’ll know exactly what your lawn needs to prep for the following season.
You’re Ready to Tackle Lawn Care (Or We Can Help)
With cooler weather around the corner, now is the time to get your soil samples and start making adjustments to your lawn care. If you need help taking care of your lawn this season, let us know and get a free custom quote within three business days! We’d be more than happy to help.