Now that the summer months are drawing to a close, it might feel like time to slow down on lawn care. After all, your grass is growing much more slowly as the chilly weather progresses, and you don’t need to worry about the scorching sun as much.
However, fall is an important time for your lawn’s health and growth. During this time, it’s storing up nutrients for the winter. The chilly nights and soft soil make it a perfect time for sending down roots. Some extra care right now will ensure that you get a stunning, lush lawn in the spring.
Re-Seeding
Fall is the perfect time to re-seed your lawn to fill in bare patches. Not only that, but “over-seeding” throughout your lawn can help you to see more lush and filled-in results come spring. Early fall is exactly the right time because this is when growing conditions for new seeds are optimal. Additionally, common lawn weeds are less active in the fall than other times, and so your extra watering and fertilizer won’t go to the wrong crop. As the lawn ages, it’s natural for it to thin out somewhat. In order to keep it looking beautiful, re-seed in the fall.
Here’s a review of the basic steps for re-seeding:
- Trim the lawn short so that the seeds don’t get stuck in blades of grass, and so that the new growth has access to sunshine.
- Rake soil and lawn to remove thatch and to soften the soil to receive new seeds.
- Check for existing problems. You can check the pH of your soil to see if certain patches are experiencing difficult growth for a reason. You might also want to aerate compacted soil so that there’s space for light, water, and fertilizer to get down where it needs to be.
- Spread seed. Larger projects might call for a seeding tool, but small areas can be treated by just scattering the seed by hand.
In order to ensure that your new grass seeds germinate and grow… fertilize! - However, avoid fertilizers that prevent weeds, since those might inhibit germination on your lawn seeds. Instead, opt for starter fertilizers.
Your new lawn seeds will need consistent watering, so water once or twice a day in smaller doses than usual.
Other Fall Maintenance
Re-seeding will reinvigorate your lawn with new growth, and the existing lawn will look better with some extra maintenance during this season. Fertilize in order to help the area build its energy storage for winter. This is also a good time to aerate to ensure that fertilizer and water get down to the roots. Clear off any thatch created by summer growth and mowing. Keep mowing and watering your lawn through the autumn, and as the frost sets in, trim the grass short before it hibernates.