Fall Tips for Lawn Care
Fall is here and its time to take the necessary steps to keep your lawn looking healthy for the coming year. Here are four steps to take to protect your lawn through the winter months.
1. Raise Your Mower
The first task is to make changes to your mowing method. Raise the height of your mower cut by ¼ inch above your summer mowing height, which will give you an ultimate mowing height of 1¼ inch. This will slow the rate of the grass growth. In addition, mow just once a week once the growth begins to slow.
2. Feed Your Lawn
Lawns sometimes suffer from slow growth in the spring or during dry spells in the summer, so you may want to consider applying a lawn fertilizer to help develop strong roots and hardiness. Be sure the fertilizer you use is specifically formulated for autumn application. These fertilizers contain phosphates and potash, and omit nitrogen, which would cause unwanted growth.
3. Beaten Pathways
Many gardens may have beaten pathways that are tread-bare, sparsely populated by grass or compacted. Address these now to have them looking great for next season. Begin by driving the prongs of a garden fork approximately 6 inches into the compacted turf at various points throughout the affected area. This is a form of aeration and allows more air to reach the roots on compacted soils.
4. Thicken Your Lawn
To thicken up lawn in high traffic areas introduce fresh seed. To do this properly first create a seedbed. Add a light layer of clean loamy topsoil. Rake to the consistency of large cake crumbs and follow by shaking on lawn seed at a rate of 40 to 50g per square meter. Tamp down lightly with the flat of the rake to ensure firm seed-soil contact. For larger areas use a light garden roller. Try to avoid mowing the reseeded area until next season, as most lawnmowers tend to unsettle the new seed due to their vacuum action.
As well as being a good month for reseeding bare areas, September is a good time to plant new lawn from seed.
John Irwin is a professional landscaper in the Sacramento area and has been in business for more than 18 years. For more tips and strategies on creating the yard of your dreams visit www.royalgardenlandscaping.com.
