Prepare your lawn for Autumn, which means that this is the most opportune time to ensure your lawn has got what it takes to last through the winter months. If you are among those people who are yet to prepare their lawns, there are a few steps you can take to ensure your grass stays healthy and green throughout the winter, irrespective of how frosty it gets. Here are 5 tips for autumn lawn mowing, Blackburn residents should know about.
1) Adjust Mowing Height
The first thing you want to do is adjusting your mowing height. In the summer, you may have raised it so as to decrease heat stress to the lawn. Make sure that you return mower deck to its usual mowing height which should be about 2 inches tall in autumn. Cutting your lawn marginally shorter during autumn will help prevent grass from matting down under the weight of leaves. However, don’t cut the grass too short as tightly-clipped grass has fewer roots and will allow weeds to sprout.
2) Feed Your Lawn
Feeding your lawn each season prepares it for the weather ahead. It promotes better growth and a stronger root system.
3) Water on Schedule
All lawns require water in dry spells irrespective of the season. If the dry spell persists into autumn, irrigate your turf once or twice weekly and this should be long enough to allow the water to soak several inches deep into the soil. The best time to water is early morning since winds are normally lighter at this time and less water is lost to evaporation. Don’t irrigate in the evening as this encourages fungal diseases.
4) Rake the leaves
If you live in a place where leaves fall, it’s important that you take some time to rake. Allowing fallen leaves to remain in your lawn for some time will mostly kill your grass. This is because these leaves not only block the sun but also create perfect breeding ground for microbes and fungus which can kill your turf.
5) Overseed
Warm-season lawns can be over-seeded with tall fescue every autumn. Tall fescue provides an expansive green carpet during the cold winter months. To prepare your lawn for over-seeding, have it mowed 1 inch shorter than usual. Have grass seed sowed in the mowed area while making 2 passes 90 degrees to each other.
Conclusion
To most people, maintaining a healthy lawn appears like a herculean task. However, if you stick to simple preparation tips during autumn, your turf will be more than ready to absorb the nutrients it requires to thrive. You will be surprised how some small work in autumn can lead to a great lawn in winter. Do not postpone fixing your lawn to another year. There is no better time to prepare your lawn for winter than in autumn. Do it now.
Or…
If all of this seems like too much work, call us today for a free quote on having the professionals handle it for you.
