Keeping your yard the envy of the neighborhood is no small feat! Now that we’re moving into the colder months in Boone, North Carolina, we wanted to provide some simple fall lawn care tips for homeowners. Follow the tips below to ensure that your grass will stay healthy through the winter and grow back full and lush in the spring!
Existing Lawn Care: Keep on Mowing
You could be forgiven for thinking that as the leaves change colors and days become shorter that you can put the mower up for the year. Unfortunately, that’s not the case! Continue to mow, edge, and water as needed throughout the fall season. The best time to mow is in the evening when the grass is dry and the temperatures have cooled.
When it comes to watering your yard in the fall, continue to follow the “Golden Rule of Watering.” Water more, Less Often. It is vitally important to allow the water to completely soak into the lawn so the roots can adequately absorb the water and nutrients.
Tips for Mowing in the Fall
Raise the Mower Blade
Raising the blade on your mower will raise the mowing height. Your lawn needs to be mowed at the appropriate length according to the grass type to prevent damage to the grass.
Recommended Grass Heights
- Fescue: 2-3 inches
- St Augustine: 2-3 inches
- Bermuda: 1-2 inches
- Zoysia: 1-1.5 inches
Aerate Your Lawn
Throughout the year, over time, soil can become compacted. This is makes it difficult for roots to absorb the proper amount of air, water, and nutrients they need to help grass and plants thrive. The primary causes of soil compaction are heavy traffic and cold winter frost. By aerating your lawn, you alleviate soil compaction. Aeratoin involves perforating the lawn with tiny holes by removing small plugs from the soil. Topdressing immediately after aerating is an excellent way to capitalize on your efforts!
Fertilize Your Lawn in the Fall
Your lawn thrives when it gets the nutrients it needs. As autumn yields to the short days of winter, it is important to fertilize your lawn in the fall to help the grass maintain itself through the cold dark months until spring.
Granular lawn fertilizer should be applied to Fescue Grass lawns towards the middle of the fall season. Bermuda Grass, on the other hand, benefits from a “winterizer” fertilizer six weeks prior to the first frost of the season (pro tip: check out our guide to Protect Your Lawn Before a Freeze). If your lawn has Zoysia, Centipede, or St. Augustine grasses, DO NOT FERTILIZE; these grasses are busy preparing for their winter dormancy stage during the fall and fertilizing them in the fall will damage them.
Sowing Grass in the Fall
As just mentioned, fertilizing your lawn is a key component to a healthy yard. But did you know that the fall is also the time for you to sow grass seeds? As most yards in the High Country of North Carolina are Fescue Grass, the fall is the time of year to sow Fescue seeds. By sowing seeds in he fall, it allows the grass root systems to establish itself before the stressful summer heat returns. On top of that, reseeding your lawn has a bunch of benefits such as creating a more dense lawn and preventing weed growth!
Mountaineer Maintenance: Your Fall Lawn Care Experts
Keeping your lawn in tip-top shape can be tough sledding. That’s why homeowners in Boone and the surrounding areas trust Mountaineer Maintenance to maintain their yards (and more!) year round! Click the button below to schedule your Free Lawn Care Quote today!