Anyone who owns a lawn knows that lawn care is a must to enjoy healthy, fresh grass and a beautiful sight. Fall lawn care should not be missed because the grass will continue to grow until frost hits.
As the temperatures drop and the nights get shorter, the lawn needs a little more care to continue to thrive. There are a few important tasks you need to complete in the fall to help your lawn thrive. Here we give tips on how to properly care for your lawn in autumn.
When the intensive growing season in the garden is over after summer, most people may feel like they no longer need to take care of the garden. But until the end of autumn, all plants continue to grow and still need care. The same applies to the lawn. Like herMaintain your lawnSo that you can enjoy it for longer, you can find out from our article, because we have put together a list for you with all the important tasks for lawn care in autumn. Read on!
Remove autumn leaves
A carpet of colorful fall leaves may look beautiful and be fun for children to play with, but it's not good for the lawn. Remove fallen fall leaves with a spring-tine rake. This is very important because if the leaves are left on the lawn, they will rot and cause damage and release pathogens. Keep your lawn clean. He looks prettier that way too!
Mowing grass in autumn
Fall is the perfect season to cut back the grass and give your lawn a neat look. Mow the lawn about 2 inches shorter than the rest of the growing season and continue to mow shorter until the grass stops growing in early winter.
The grass continues to grow until the first hard frost and therefore needs to be cut regularly. It is best to keep your grass at an ideal height of around 8cm. If you allow grass to grow too long, it will become matted and susceptible to fungi such as mold. Mid-morning (between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m.) is typically the best time of day to mow your lawn in the fall. Remove clippings from the lawn.
How often to aerate the lawn
Aeration is very important for a well-maintained lawn. It helps the grass to survive extreme conditions such as waterlogging or drought. The frequency with which you aerate your lawn depends on the type of grass you have, the demand on your lawn, and the type of soil. In general, cool-season grasses should be aerated once a year, every fall, while warm-season grasses only need to be aerated every other year.
Preferablyyou can your lawnaerate manually by using a manual core aerator. This is a device with a handle and a foot bar. You must hold the handle with both hands so that you can drive it into the ground. This allows the required amount of air to penetrate the lawn and contributes to the proper development of the grass.
You should not forget to fertilize
Top dressing is the next step after aeration. What do you need and how do you go about it? You'll need a mixture of clay, sand, and well-rotted organic material to work into the soil to fill the ventilation holes. This is particularly useful in heavy soils as it improves the texture and drainage of the soil. This leads to better root penetration and thicker, healthier grass.
Lawn care in autumn: scarifying
The buildup of debris such as dead grass can prevent water and fertilizer from reaching the soil, damaging your grass. Therefore, scarifying is necessary. Scarifying the lawn improves air and water movement between the grass roots. It is best to scarify in late summer or early autumn, as the lawn can then fully recover before it goes into winter dormancy. Fall is ideal due to cool air temperatures and warm ground temperatures.
Scarifying is a process that involves raking the lawn and removing old clippings from the soil surface. This is how you promote itHealth of your lawnby allowing water and fertilizer to penetrate the soil better and improving air circulation. How do you scarify your lawn? This is a simple process:
- Rake your lawn vigorously with a spring-tine rake. Be careful not to tear up the grass.
- Work first in one direction, then the other. Remove all raked sod and add compost.
- For larger areas you can use a scarifier.
When should you lime the lawn?
Liming the lawn adjusts the pH value of the soil, creating a slightly acidic soil in which the lawn thrives. Adding lime to your soil can help your lawn grow faster and thicker. This not only ensures a lush lawn, but also one that is tough enough to fight off problems.
The best way to determine if your soil needs liming is with a pH test. The target pH value for lawns is between 6.2 and 6.5. So if your soil has a lower pH, it will likely benefit from liming. It is advisable to lime your lawn with around 150 to 200 grams of carbonated lime per square meter.
Smooth uneven surfaces
Proper lawn care in the fall also requires you to maintain the beautiful appearance of the lawn.If you have your lawn in summerneglected or children and pets have played on the grass and the surface has become uneven and unsightly, you can smooth the lawn and keep it looking neat. You can use a lawn iron or a spade for this. Repair any damaged areas and ventilate the soil underneath with a fork. Lay the sod at the same level as the rest of the lawn.
Loosen up compacted areas
There are places and areas in every lawn that are subject to heavy wear in the summer. This compacts the soil and impairs the growth of the grass because water and nutrients cannot penetrate the soil. It is very easy to loosen the soil. You can use a fork to break up the soil and improve drainage so water and nutrients can penetrate properly. What is the best way to loosen the soil? Be sure to insert the fork four to six inches into the soil to achieve proper aeration and drainage.
Water the grass in the fall
There may be more rain and more moisture in the fall, but if your lawn isn't getting at least an inch of water per week, you'll need to keep watering it to keep it fresh and healthy. Continue watering until late fall when the weather is still warm.
How digging promotes the lawn
If your lawn is old and you want to replace it, you will need to dig it up and remove the old grass. Use a spade and dig 8 inches deep. Once you've dug, plant seeds for new grass. Digging is best done in early fall so that the new grass seeds have enough time to establish themselves before winter frost sets in.Fertilize afterYou dug up the lawn.
