How do I care for my lawn in fall?

Fall is in full swing. Leaves are falling, the temperatures are cooler, the days are shorter and grass isn’t growing as fast. It’s easy to forget that we still need to be taking care of our lawns, but now is the time to make sure that your lawn is ready for late fall and winter. There are several things that you can do during this time of year to keep your lawn thriving. 
 
Don’t leave the leaves lying on your lawn. If rain falls, it can create a matte of leaves and cause disease and damage to your lawn. Sunlight and nutrients are unable to reach the roots of the grass. A resourceful use of the fallen leaves is to mulch them into your lawn. They can provide lots of nutrients for your lawn!
 
Don’t forget to mow your lawn during fall, but not too short! During this season, it’s a good idea to keep your lawn around 2.5-3 inches tall. If you cut your lawn too short, this can damage your lawn’s root system and leave your lawn susceptible to the cold and dryness of the winter to come. 
 
Watering is also important to keep your lawn thriving during fall. The night time temperatures are cold so you don’t want frozen hose pipes or spigots attached to irrigation systems, but you do want to make sure that your lawn is still receiving enough water. Your lawn still needs around an inch of water a week. 
 
Also, as fall comes to an end, it is important that your lawn has enough nutrients. Fertilizer can help your lawn survive the cold winter that will soon approach.  While nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are all important to your lawn, making sure your lawn has enough potassium is key. It encourages root growth, protects from diseases, cold resistance and drought tolerance. It is always good to do a soil test first to determine what your lawn needs. 
 
If you have any questions or concerns about your lawn, drop us a comment, send us a message or give us a call. We will be happy to answer any of your questions!
 
By: Hannah Raines
Copyright ALL Outdoors 2019