Lawn Tasks To Do This Fall
Fall lawn care is essential for green and healthy grass the following spring.
Fall lawn care is essential for green and healthy grass the following spring. As the temperature decreases, homeowners can still do plenty to ensure a beautiful lawn for the next season. Most of these tasks are small and won't require hours of effort. However, they can make all the difference in a healthy lawn.
Here are some lawn tasks to do this fall:
Removing dead leaves
Many people appreciate the brilliant reds, yellows, and oranges of falling leaves. However, homeowners should rake them away whenever they get the chance. This is because the top layer of dead leaves can block much-needed sunlight from the lawn while retaining moisture. The result is a soggy grass layer that eventually dies when the leaves decompose.
Homeowners should rake the leaves until the trees are bare, leaving the turf open for the necessary nutrients like sunlight. Water will also reach the top layer of grass much easier if leaves aren't blocking it.
Don't stop watering!
Speaking of watering, many homeowners might stop performing this task during the fall because they expect the rain to do the job. While rain does increase during these cooler months, grass still needs at least an inch of water weekly. When it comes to rain levels, each month can be different too. Homeowners should install a rain gauge and keep their sprinkler and irrigation system on until October. Ensuring a lawn has enough water during the fall is crucial.
Taking care of weeds
The fall season is perfect for removing stubborn weeds that crowd a lawn during the summer. Using a herbicide, homeowners can seize the opportunity to remove weeds before they have a chance to overpopulate the lawn. This will save them both time and effort in the future. If the turf doesn't have many weeds, homeowners can pull them out by hand, with a hoe, or shovel without disturbing the soil.
Consider aeration and thatch removal
Sometimes, a thick layer of organic material can form on the top of the soil. This binds the particles, blocking essential nutrients and air from entering the soil. A dense, compacted top layer of thatch will require loosening also to allow grass roots to grow deeper.
Homeowners can tackle this problem in two ways. Many might use a power rake. Doing so will loosen the soil effectively and tear up the thatch. However, thicker thatch layers might need a more specialized approach. Homeowners can contact professionals for a more thorough aeration job. Professionals have specialized machines that pierce holes in the soil for proper aeration.
Fall lawn maintenance by experts
Fall maintenance doesn't have to be hard if homeowners call the right professionals to do the job. Specific tasks like fertilizing, aeration, and irrigation require seasoned lawn care providers' expertise and specialized equipment. Likewise, homeowners can consult professionals for the best methods, ensuring their lawns receive a specialized approach.
While doing lawn care alone is possible, experts can achieve outstanding results. As long as all the above tasks are completed by the end of fall, homeowners can look forward to an immaculate lawn when the warmer summer months return.
Epic Lawns LLC provides top-quality lawn care and landscaping installation and maintenance to property owners in St. Charles, St. Louis, and Lincoln Counties. Call Epic Lawns at (636) 445-0824.
