Now that fall has arrived and the weather is getting cooler, you are probably spending less time outdoors in your yard. Your lawn still needs care in the colder months, but the things you should do are a little different than what you did in the spring and summer. Here are some tips on how to take care of your lawn this fall and prepare for winter.
Your lawn still needs to be watered in the fall, but not as much as it needed in the warmer months. Watering it too much in the fall can actually harm your lawn by saturating the root system.
During the fall, you should set your sprinkler to water the lawn twice a week at 4 a.m. for 20 minutes per zone. If you don’t have a sprinkler system, water as early in the morning as possible for 20 minutes.
If your region consistently gets snow in the winter, you can stop watering your lawn in late September or October because it will be going into dormancy. If you live in a humid climate with sun all year, water your lawn once or twice a week for 20 minutes per zone.
If your lawn mower blade is dull, it will not cleanly cut your grass. Instead, it will pull at the tops of the grass blades and leave a serrated edge. This can make the grass brown at the tips and can cause lawn diseases in some climates. If your lawn is cool and damp in the fall and you mow it with a dull blade, diseases are more likely to spread. Always set your lawn mower on the second-to-highest setting so that the grass is at least 2.5 to 3 inches tall to retain moisture.
A two-wheel hand-push electric mower is the most cost-effective variety. Whatever type of lawn mower you use, it is essential to keep the blade sharp. You should sharpen it at least twice a year. If you buy a new lawn mower, ask someone at the store to sharpen the blade. If the blade gets dull, it is cheaper to replace the blade than the whole mower.
It is important to fertilize your lawn in the fall, especially if you live in a region that consistently gets snow in the winter. Check the labels on products to find one that is appropriate for your lawn. If you decide to use a liquid fertilizer, it is better to hire a professional company to apply it than to do it yourself. You can also hire a professional to remove weeds in the fall.
