Fall is a great time to get your lawn rejuvenated. Make the most of this cooler weather by following the tips below to make your lawn stand out during the rest of the growing season.

Mowing Height

While some people like to mow their lawns shorter, we recommend cutting now shorter than at least 3.5 inches. A taller mowed turf allows the plant to thrive, crowd out weeds, develop stronger roots, and provide for better health. During the fall, the turf plant begins to focus on energy storage for the upcoming winter months. Mowing taller allows the plant the most opportunity for the turf to build a great foundation for the upcoming dormancy season and will give your turf an overall better appearance going into next spring. 

Fall Fertilizer
As stated above, the turf plant is going to begin changing its metabolic cycle from energy production to energy storage. A healthy fall fertilizer with a balanced blend of N, P, and K will allow the plants to really thrive in the coming months. Energy storage is primarily held in the roots so using a fertilizer that provides a constant and sustained feeding will give the most benefit to your lawn.

Fall Aeration

Aeration is the process of pulling plugs from the soil and breaking up the root structure of the plant. This gives multiple benefits to the lawn including easier airflow through the roots, breaking up soil compaction in the top layer of soil, and increased nutrient movement. This process also cuts the roots of the turf plant, which in turn, promotes newer and stronger root development. This is key to the plant nutrition storage. 

Leaf Removal/Mulching

As the trees begin to change and leaves drop on the lawn, it is very important that you do your best to remove them as soon as possible. The best solution is to simply mow over the leaves to mulch them up. By doing this, you are allowing the leaf material to return back to the soil and providing more organic matter for microbes to feed on. 

Seeding?

While we say “Fall is the best time to seed,” we really mean late summer between August and September. If you have time or opportunity to seed, do so before September 30th. This will give the seed plenty of time to germinate before the first frost if properly watered.