It’s autumn and the leaves aren’t the only thing that’s falling — so is the temperature. With changes in weather, your focus may not be on your lawn… as it should be. If you can upkeep your lawn during the fall it’ll have a better chance of survival come spring. Here are some fall maintenance tips that will help you keep your lawn strong and healthy.
Removing Thatch – What is thatch? You may not recognize the name but you’ve seen it before. Thatch is that pale yellow, hay-like dead grass that appears suddenly in your otherwise healthy lawn. Thatch starts at the root system and works its way up to the ground level. Thatch can choke out your grass and cause dead spots, which is why it is crucial you remove it as soon as possible. What many homeowners tend to do is try to remove thatch quickly with a rake; unfortunately, removing thatch isn’t a quick job and if you try to remove it too quickly, you could damage your lawn. Instead of dragging the rake deep into the soil, gently rake over the area and repeat if necessary. It could take up to four and five passes to clear all the thatch away.
Re-seed – Don’t wait till spring to re-seed dead spots. If there is a section of your lawn that is struggling, make sure you reseed it before the first frost. To do this, lay seed on the dead or struggling area and then cover the seeds with a moss-compost mixture. Keep the area moist. If you aren’t watering your lawn as often because of cooler temperatures, make sure you pay attention to your seeded areas and water them separately if needed.
Remove Leaves – You want to remove fallen leaves for two reasons. First, if you let leaves sit on your lawn, the leaves will block the sunlight from reaching the grass. Blades of grass need to be strong and healthy as they enter dormancy, not weak and choked out. Second, if you don’t clear the leaves you’ll have a big mess come spring. Damp, wet leaves are much harder to clear than dry ones; plus, damp leaves can turn your yard into a muck hole perfect for fungi and other plant diseases.