5 Fall Lawn Care Tips

Another summer has come and gone, but just because the leaves are starting to turn brown, it doesn’t mean you can neglect your lawn until next spring. In fact, fall is a crucial time for lawn care, helping you nourish and repair your lawn so that it stays in great condition. If you want to see the best results, you need to put the work in. There are a lot of jobs you can do at this time of year to help you maintain your lawn and protect it for the months ahead.

With the help of these top lawn care tips from the experts at Mass Lawn Pros, you can help keep your lawn looking fresh this fall.

1. Say goodbye to thatch

Removing thatch from your lawn is a very important step for helping to maintain a healthy lawn throughout the year. Thatch is the accumulation of dead material that can impact the quality of your lawn, preventing growth while encouraging pests that tend to live under the surface of the soil. You can find out if you have thatch by lifting a piece of turf and checking underneath it – if there is more than an inch of growth, you’ll need to take some action to stop it from getting worse.

Dethatching, (otherwise known as scarifying), involves raking through the thatch to remove the debris. This will help you prepare your lawn for treatments and fertilizer so that it can grow back healthier.

2. Maintain a cutting schedule

Grass grows quicker in the summer months, but it can still grow quickly in the fall, especially when the weather is milder. It’s important to maintain a cutting schedule that will keep your lawn looking neat and fresh.

Start by cutting your lawn down to the 3-inch mark. It’s also a good idea to trim the edges of your lawn to prevent them from becoming overgrown. Maintain this height throughout the fall to help prevent matting under too much rain, frost, or snow. If you cut your lawn too low, you run the risk of weakening the roots and leaving your lawn susceptible to weeds.

You’ll be able to monitor how fast the lawn grows to help you work out how often you need to cut it. As the months get colder, you can reduce your cutting schedule even further.

3. Keep the grass watered

After the warm, dry weather of summer, your grass will still need a lot of watering in the fall to help keep it nourished. Monitor the weather – frequent rain will reduce your need for watering, but if there’s a dry spell, you’ll need to get out the hose and sprinkler to keep your lawn looking its best.

By the end of October/beginning of November, you shouldn’t need to water your lawn at all. Growth will have slowed down in the cool Massachusetts temperatures, and the soil should hold moisture much better.

4. Fertilize your lawn

Fertilizing your lawn is a crucial step to prepare it for the winter months. Adding some fertilizer will help give it some of the nutrients it needs, while also preventing the roots from freezing.

You should aim to do one course of fertilizer at the beginning of September, and another at the end of October. By the spring, your garden will look lush and green, and you’ll appreciate the time you took to fertilize it.

5. Repair any dead areas

While the summer is a great time for your garden, helping flowers, plants, and vegetables to grow, it can also bring a lot of problems for your lawn. Long, dry summers can dry out your grass, leaving it looking like straw, while over-use of your lawn can cause damage too.

Use the early fall period to help repair any dead or sparse patches in your lawn. You should aerate the lawn first, and then seed it. To help encourage germination, you’ll need to water the new area regularly.

By the time spring arrives, your new grass will be ready to grow long and strong, helping your lawn look its best again.

The colder months can be a tough time for your lawn, but by doing the prep work in the fall, you can help keep it strong and healthy, ready to thrive in the spring. If you struggle with your lawn maintenance, or you need a little helping hand, Mass Lawn Pros are here. We can carry out the work necessary to get your lawn ready for fall, providing high-quality services that make a difference.