Preparing your yard for Fall

As we move closer to fall, here are 5 tips to help keep your lawn looking great.

1. Cut your grass to mid-length. The best fall height for grass blades is around two and a half to three inches. Maintaining this length will help prevent frozen roots that would lead to dead grass. Longer grass is also more susceptible to disease, mold growth and matting. Ensure your grass is long enough it can absorb the sun when spring comes around for solid growth next year. 

2. Water your grass. Through the dry weather of fall, lawns should still be receiving at least an inch of water each week. Rain gauges can track the natural moisture levels, but you can also use a sprinkler or irrigation system until the first freeze. Well saturated ground provides a better chance for roots to survive during the harsh cold of winter as the ground is often drier than it may look when cold.
3. Aerate for healthy soil. The process of aeration – perforating the ground to allow in air, nutrient, and water— aids in the growth of your lawn year-round. Creating holes with core aeration allows deeper penetration of any fertilizers and can add room for roots to spread and grow deeper.
   Tip: Aeration is recommended for the fall because spring aeration can cause more weeds to grow.
4. Fertilize before winter. Late fall fertilization can help grass maintain its nutrients throughout the winter and into the spring. Timing is important so that the fertilizer has an opportunity to absorb into the ground but also last through the snow and cold temperatures. Pairing this with aeration can provide a huge boost for your grass health.
5. Overseed before winter. Overseeding your yard in the fall is key to filling in bare patches and creating drought-resistant grass. Keep the seeds wet so they can get into the soil and continue to grow. Overseeding works best when the highest daytime temp is around 80 degrees and the low during the night is below 55 degrees. Most the time this falls between mid-October and mid-November. Waiting until it is too late will cause the seedlings to die before they root.

Following these helpful tips are some of the best ways to ensure your yard stays looking good during the fall and healthy in the spring.

Fall is also the perfect time to get your mower serviced and we here at Heritage Tractor would love to help with that! Stop by your local dealer today for consultation on servicing your mower.