Scarves. Pumpkin spice lattes. Leaves crunching underfoot. Sweater season is moving in fast, which means it’s time to start transitioning to fall maintenance to make sure your home and yard are ready for winter. The following are some things you can do to prepare for the cold and wet weather ahead.
Interseed your lawn summer of heavy use can take its toll on even the healthiest of lawns. If your turf has some thin or bare patches, fall is the ideal time to reseed. After spreading the seed, water lightly and frequently (if it doesn’t rain) to keep the soil slightly damp until the seed germinates.
Interseeding with cool season grass seed can help you enjoy a lush green lawn year-round. Speak with a local landscaper or your university extension office to determine the best timing, seed and process for interseeding with cool season grasses as warm season lawns turn dormant.
Lower your mower blades or the last few mowings in the fall (and the first few in the spring), set your lawn mower blades at the lowest recommended height for your type of turf. You no longer need the height of the grass to shade the soil and keep it cool, and minimizing the amount of moisture that’s trapped by the grass can help prevent fungal disease.
Remove the leaves
Don’t leave your lawn buried under a thick layer of leaves. If you don’t want to rake, try mulch mowing — chopping the leaves up into small pieces allows them to decompose more quickly, so that they fertilize the grass instead of suffocating it.
Clean up your yard ny object that sits on your grass all winter can create a dead spot. To protect your lawn, remove toys, furniture and other items from the grass.
Prep your equipment for spring lawn care n addition to seeding, another great way to get a jumpstart on spring is to give your lawn mower a tune-up. By sharpening the blades before you put it away for the winter, it will be ready to get back to work when the grass starts growing again in the spring.
Check your roof, gutters and downspouts eaks can lead to costly water damage, so check for potential trouble spots now, before the winter storms start. Look for broken shingles and damaged flashing around vents, chimneys and skylights; clean the leaves out of your gutters; and add extensions to your downspouts if the water runs less than three feet away from the foundation of the house.
Spending a bit of time in the fall to prepare your home and yard will allow you to enjoy the winter months with peace of mind. What’s more, the effort you invest in the health of your lawn now can pay dividends in the spring by jumpstarting your turf’s growth and minimizing weeds. Have you completed everything on the list? It must be time to curl up with a good book, a hot beverage and relax! (BPT)
