Posted on October 22nd, 2019
Fall is officially here and with it comes the familiar nip in the air that hints at the quickly approaching winter. It’s time to switch gears from summer lawn care to fall lawn care. We’ve put together a few fall lawn preparation tips to help you set your lawn up for success going into the winter.
In the fall, cool-season grass, like the stuff we have here in Massachusetts, continues to grow. This means you’ll still have to mow your lawn a few more times before the end of the season. Keep your grass cut to a consistent level, this will help keep your lawn strong and healthy throughout the season. Mowing even helps maintain your leaf litter. Just mow over your leaves when they’re nice and crispy to create a fine and nutritious mulch for your lawn.
Raking is everybody’s least favorite fall chore. It’s time-consuming, exhausting, and (if your trees are healthy) it literally gets harder every year. That being said, cleaning up the leaf litter is important to the health of your lawn. Leaving the leaves on your lawn for too long deprives your grass of sunlight and oxygen, especially if they’re wet and matted. Leaves also create the perfect conditions for mold and fungus, not to mention being the ideal hiding place for lawn pests like fleas and ticks.
Clean up the leaves on your lawn throughout the fall so the problem doesn’t get out of control. By raking your lawn, you’ll also help by breaking up the layer of thatch that may have built up at the base of your grass. This will help you avoid soil compaction and a host of other problems that come with it. If you really don’t want to rake, then you can rely on a leaf blower or the lawnmower. If you choose to use the mower, then make sure you only mow the leaves when they’re dry and crispy. The mulch you create will provide your grass with free nutrients to help prepare it for the oncoming winter.
One of the most important fall lawn preparation steps is to winterize your sprinkler system. If water is left in your sprinkler system until the first hard frost, the results can be catastrophic. When the water freezes in the lines it expands, causing extensive damage throughout your sprinkler lines. Come spring, you may be looking at replacing your entire irrigation system.
Before the temperatures drop below freezing, it’s important to drain all of the water out of your pipes and then shut off the water. For the best results, it’s a good idea to invest in a sprinkler system winterization service from Turf Unlimited.
Another important thing to do in the fall is to check your gutters. When gutters get clogged, water will get backed up. This standing water is the perfect environment for a mosquito nursery. Clear out your gutters in the fall to keep the standing water on your property at a minimum. Ultimately, you’ll be reducing the number of mosquitoes around your home. Clogged gutters could also result in a lot of damage over the winter. Ice-filled gutters in the winter can tear away from the side of your house. Clear out those gutters and make sure everything is flowing properly to avoid mosquito swarms and winter ice damage.
As the temperatures drop, we aren’t the only ones looking for a cozy place to stay warm. Insects will be looking for a warm place to overwinter this fall, don’t let them turn your home into their home. It’s common in the fall to see insects collecting on the side of your home, near windows and doors. If your house isn’t properly sealed and protected, then you’ll be sharing your space with common pests, like:
Go around your house this fall and check for any possible openings for insects. Check for cracks in the foundation, holes in window screens, and gaps around doors and windows. Fix these weak points to protect your home from a pest infestation this fall and winter.
Fall is the best time for aeration. After the stresses of summer including high heat, drought conditions, and high traffic, your lawn could use a little rejuvenation. Lawn aeration is the perfect service to restore your lawn after the summer. It alleviates soil compaction and allows for the easy transfer of air, water, and nutrients down to the grass roots. This encourages deep root growth, strengthening your grass for the winter ahead and making it easier to green up in the early spring.
To get the most out of your fall lawn preparation, call the professionals at Turf Unlimited. Our expert technicians and premium lawn care services will help you set your lawn up for success this fall.
Give us a call at (888) 649-9919 or leave a message on our site. If you have a pest problem, then head over to our sister site: Pest Control Unlimited.
