Tip of the Week: Fall Yard Preparation and Plant Care.
We strive all year to make our yards beautiful. Are you doing all you can for your yard this fall season?
Most of us cannot wait for fall to get here with the falling leaves, holidays in full swing and finally the lawn has slowed growing and you don’t have to mow twice a week, but slacking off in the fall can set you up for a miserable and costly spring. JCE has put together these maintenance steps to keep your yard looking great and reduce the cost of spring fertilizing.
• Rake those leaves! Leaving leaves on top of your grass compacts the lawn trapping moisture and allowing fungus and molds to form. Using the leaves for mulching or garden beds is an easy way to dispose of them and can have some added nutritional benefit for your garden and flower beds. • Aerate. Over time our yards become compact and covered with a thick thatch preventing nutrients and water from reaching the soil. Aeration loosens the soil and is best done before fertilizing. • Mowing. While it may slow down to once a week or even every other week for some of us, lawn height and regular mowing are important for lawn health. The ideal height for trimming is 2 ½ to 3 inches in height. Too short damages vital roots that help your lawn to survive the freeze and too tall clumps and allows mold growth. Regular watering should still be applied to not rob lawns of important nutrients and to keep roots well hydrated before the first hard freeze. • Fertilize and seed. Fall is a great time for killing weeds. Look for fertilizers that incorporate weed killers for your specific problem, crab grass, dandelions, etc., and use fertilizers that are slow release to help those roots regain strength from that long hot summer before the first hard freeze. Now is one of the best times to seed those bare spots but get to it early in the season to allow the seed to germinate and the roots to take hold before the first hard freeze. • Plant Care. Perennials should be cut back to within 2-3 inches of the crown as some bulbs reside at the soil line instead of below the soil. All non-perennials that are planter based should be moved indoors or abandoned for season.
We hope these tips help you to keep that lawn looking great into winter and next spring. Don’t forget to share this post so that everyone sees these free tips and like and follow our page to receive all of our Tips of the Week.
Remember folks, small maintenance now, saves huge repairs later!
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