Transitioning from summer to fall can be hard on your gardens and lawns without the proper care. Although maintaining lawn care at any time of the year can be difficult, it is necessary. With mowing, aeration, fertilization, weed control, seeding, and dethatching, lawn owners can maintain a healthy growing lawn from summer to fall. As you create your list of summer to-dos, be sure to add these practices to your list.
Mowing
The key to late summer mowing is not to cut your lawn too short, mow when it is dry, and to consider the grass cycle. Cutting your grass too short can make your lawn more vulnerable to diseases and allow weeds to grow. Mowing when it’s dry allows you to get a clean cut every time with your mower instead of creating clumps of uneven, wet grass. Leaving the lawn clippings behind after mowing can also serve as nitrogen-rich fertilizer and prevent water run-off, increasing irrigation.
Fertilization
Late summer and early fall is a perfect time to fertilize and is highly suggested. Fertilizers in the fall offer benefits like allowing your lawn to store its nutrients for the winter and supporting your yard in a healthy and flourishing root system. It is best to spread fertilizer between mid to late November, just before the grass usually stops growing. Even if you won’t spend as much time outside as in the summer, maintaining your lawn is still important, so put in the work now, and keep your lawn healthy until the following summer.
Aeration
After a long couple of months of summer outdoor activity, your lawn may be rough to the touch. The soil underneath your lawn has become packed and hardened with all the summer action. The aeration process can be highly beneficial in helping your yard regain some of the essentials it needs, like the movement of air, nutrients, and soil. Removing plugs of soil can relieve the compaction of the ground itself, creating ventilation for your lawn to respire. This ventilation can allow for your grass’s root system to grow stronger.
Overseeding
Signs like patches of missing grass, thinning grass, and drought are stress signals your lawn gives you. Take into consideration planting and seeding your yard more than you usually would. Overseeding mid-August through September can be beneficial to your yard. Consider sowing additional seed over your already existing lawn grass as this allows your grass to thicken and protect itself against harmful diseases. Overseeding and aeration can deliver a helpful hand to your yard in the upcoming harsher months.