Fall lawn care

Now’s not the time to ignore your lawn. Keep it healthy and help it overwinter with the following tips. With these lawn care tips you’ll have a healthier lawn in the spring and maybe even leave your neighbours a little green with envy.

Feed your lawn. As temperatures cool, the top growth will slow down but the roots will continue to grow. Feeding your lawn now will give it the nutrients it needs over the winter. Giving your lawn two applications of fertilizer in the fall will help it recover more quickly. The first application is best done in mid-August to mid-September). Once the grass has stopped growing applying fertilizer in the late season will help it survive over the winter and green up in early spring.

Seed away. Over-seeding the lawn will help fill in any bare spots and also thicken the grass. Go one step further by aerating the lawn after over-seeding to promote new growth and repair any troublesome patches. Don’t wait past late September to do this step.

Keep calm and carry on – cutting your grass that is. Even though it starts to grow more slowly, continue cutting the grass and give it enough water to promote stronger root growth before winter. Root depth is proportional to mowing height: the longer the grass, the deeper the root. Raise the mower’s height slightly for fall cuttings. If Mother Nature isn’t watering your grass often enough, give it about a half-inch of water weekly.

Finally, remember to remove any children’s toys that block sunlight and nutrients to your lawn. Rake the leaves too, since they can also block the sunlight it needs at this time of year. For larger properties, a leaf vacuum or blower will get the job done in no time, giving you some well earned time on the patio and the satisfaction of knowing your lawn is well taken care of until next spring.