The cool weather has begun to creep in, frost sprinkles the grass in the early morning hours – summer is, officially, over. In previous blogs we have talked about how important it is to aerate and overseed your lawn during these cooler months to repair the damage of the hot summer and sun.

Do you know what the number one mistake is when it comes to fall maintenance?

Well, let’s find out! …………

Brian Feldman from TruGreen notes that the number one mistake he notices is customers stop watering the lawn in the fall. Most homeowners believe that with the seasonal change, watering can be stopped but it’s important to continue watering, especially in areas that experience limited or lower rainfall.

With the arrival of fall – the temperatures begin to drop, the days are shorter, and grass growth begins to slow down. During the summer months water quickly evaporates but, in the fall, water remains a little longer resulting in your lawn needing less to drink.

If you have cool-season grass, fall remains an important growth period. You may not see as much growth or as quickly, but your grass will continue to grow for a large part of fall. Most importantly, this is the time that the root system continues to grow and, in fact, heals from the summer scorching.

General rules for watering your lawn in the fall:

• Continue to provide watering for your lawn until the ground is frozen.
• Areas that receive 1” or more of rain per week do not need to be watered additionally.
• Do not over water the lawn which can result in fungal disease.
• When the weather is warm, dry, sunny – continue to water a few times a week.
• Water heavy vs frequently; provide deep watering 2-3 times a week.
• If you recently overseeded your yard – continue with regular watering practices until roots are established.
• If you cannon push a 6” screwdriver into your lawn – you need to water more.
• Don’t water your lawn so much that it runs into the street

As with your plantings, aim to water your lawn in the early morning so that your lawn will have the entire day to dry out before night.

If you notice brown areas in your lawn, you will want to look for other potential problems that may be causing the grass to die out such as overwatering, over-fertilizing, mowing too frequently, fungal problems, etc.

Feeling overwhelmed with your fall maintenance list – give us a call!