As temperatures fall, our attention tends to move away from the yard, but the secret to a healthy spring lawn is a proactive fall maintenance plan. Schedule these five chores now, and your grass will be the envy of the neighborhood come spring.
1. Keep Mowing
Fall is a good time to raise your mower deck to the higher end of the recommended range for your grass type. Taller blades help hold moisture and insulate the plants during fall and winter. Do keep mowing as long as the grass is growing. Grass that is too tall creates the perfect environment for disease and pests.
Continuing to mow throughout fall also ensures fallen leaves don’t choke your grass. A mulching mower breaks the leaves into manageable bits that actually feed your grass and form an insulating layer at the soil level. If you don’t have a mulching mower, mow in two different directions each time to adequately break up the leaves.
2. Patch Dead or Bare Spots
Fall is a great time to use sod to patch any areas that may have succumbed to drought stress. If you’re unsure, our experts can help you identify your grass type.
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How to Repair Bare Patches in Your Lawn
3. Watch for Disease
Powdery mildew and other diseases thrive in the cooler cloudy and humid conditions common during fall. Take a walk around your yard once a week and watch for diseases so you can catch and treat issues early to minimize damage.
4. Keep Watering
Even if your grass goes dormant, it is still alive and needs consistent water. Keep an eye on the rain gauge and make sure the lawn gets half an inch every three days from rain and/or irrigation.
5. Apply Pre-emergent
If you haven’t applied pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn, now is the time. The treatment discourages winter weeds from germinating so your grass starts the spring with fewer weeds.
Questions?
If you have questions or need more information about caring for your lawn this fall our Certified Turfgrass Professionals are happy to help. Give them a call at 770.832.8608 or email at info@NGTurf.com.
