Fall is undeniably one of the most beautiful seasons in Indiana. The leaves change color and drop delicately to the ground, creating a perfectly picturesque setting punctuated with the crisp air of autumn. It’s also one of our busiest seasons as the vacation season ends and we find ourselves back to school and work. While we’re in the flurry of the commotion, it can be easy to forget about our yards, which still need our help before winter comes.

MOWING AND MAINTENANCE

Just as we prune our plants yearly, our lawn also needs an annual cutback to help it thrive in the coming year. Here, we’re not talking about the regular mowing that takes place throughout the spring and summer. Our fall trimming will be quite a bit more extensive.

As fall sets in, begin lowering your lawnmower blades gradually over a few weeks until you reach the lowest setting. Remember that, like pruning other plants, you only want to take off ⅓ of the grass blades or less. The goal here is to remove as much of the leaf as possible slowly, so there is less to die off for the winter, but not to shock the lawn into not growing next year.

Fall is also a very important time to get rid of any weeds that may still be lingering around in your yard. If roots and remnants are left behind to hibernate with your grass, you can be sure to see them next year, so eradication is key before the frost sets in.

GETTING RID OF LEAVES

While part of the beauty of autumn, those colorful leaves can quickly become a hindrance to the health of your lawn if not taken care of. If allowed to become soggy and matted, they will slowly suffocate your lawn.

Raking can often be tiring and tedious, but it is an important step to removing the layer of weight that deprives your lawn of air and light. You can also try utilizing the leaves to your advantage, however, as an all-natural mulch to insulate and supplement your yard. This can easily be done with the lawnmower, which will provide ample sprinkling of little cuttings your lawn will love. Remember not to leave this layer too thick, though, or you will still risk suffocating your poor grass.

AERATING

Just as we need to breathe to survive, so do our lawns, which can often be hard with compacted roots that never get the chance. Aeration helps to make this simple. By loosening up the soil or punching in holes, you will give the roots access to air they otherwise have difficulty accessing. It also makes it easier for them to take in water and nutrients, as well, making it an all-around win for lawn care.

You can easily aerate your lawn with an aerator, which you can rent and power yourself, or you can hire someone to do it for you. You can also aerate with a rake, simply digging it in to loosen the top layers of soil.

SEEDING

While we often think of spring as the time to seed our lawns, fall is also a key season when it comes to adding new growth to the ground. By laying new seed in the season just before hibernation, you are setting your lawn up with the tools it needs to produce stunning, green growth right at the break of spring.

After aerating, sprinkle new seed throughout your lawn to overdress old growth for a thicker and lusher lawn next year. In areas that are sparse or patchy, be sure to leave a thicker layer of seed to help fill it in as much as possible. Remember to water the seeds well for the next couple of weeks to give the seeds the moisture they need.

FERTILIZING

Fertilizing is an important step for our lawns in the spring, as it helps fuel the growth our well-rested grass has been saving up all winter long. In fall, though, as the growth slows on our blanket of green, fertilizing may seem like the least logical step. However, it’s an incredibly important step in keeping our lawns healthy for years to come.

While it may not be growing much, our lawns are still busy at work building up a storehouse of nutrients to help it last the long winter coming. With nutrients at hand, the roots are equipped with an arsenal of growing power to help our lawns perform happier and healthier when spring finally comes again.

It’s important to remember not to fertilize until the lawn is no longer actively growing. If you add fertilizer before the grass has settled in for the winter, you risk stirring up a new wave of growth that could have you starting the whole process all over again. If you wait until growth has stopped, usually the end of September, the nutrients will be better put to work for the fall.

The pride and joy of the summer season, our lawns easily transform our outdoor space into a luscious oasis, but they can often be tricky to care for. By preparing and maintaining your lawn throughout the fall, you can easily set yourself up for success with a lawn that will be the envy of your neighbours. For more fall lawn-care tips and tools to get started, visit the garden centre today.