Fall is here and that means all of the yard work you had to do during the summer is over. It’s time to sit back and relax and not worry about the lawn until next spring, right? Not so fast.
While fall seems like a good time to store the mower and wash your hands of lawn work, it’s actually a crucial time to start preparing it for winter. Taking the effort before cold weather sets in will help save you a lot of headaches come spring. Here’s your fall landscaping to-do list:
Trim Your Trees & Shrubs
Trimming your trees and shrubs is an excellent way to help prevent damage to your home and property during the winter. If not properly trimmed, the tree or shrub can become weakened resulting in branches that can easily die and break off. After trimming, you can take your green waste to be recycled into mulch so nothing is wasted.
Rake the Leaves
While raking leaves from your lawn can be time consuming, it’s worth it in the long run. Removing leaves will prevent them from rotting and preventing your grass from getting the nutrition it needs. In addition, wet and soggy leaves left all winter can breed fungi that can harm your lawn.
Mow One Last Time
Mowing the grass of your lawn in the fall until it no longer actively grows will save you a lot of trouble later. When long grass isn’t mowed, it can get tangled and develop a fungal disease known as snow mold. Snow mold comes in two types, grey and pink, and develops under snow cover. This mold will damage lawns in circular patches and can prevent regrowth of your lawn.
Aerate & Reseed the Lawn
When you aerate a lawn, you are punching holes in the soil that will help nutrients to get to the roots of your grass, letting them thrive all though winter. You can aerate your lawn yourself with a push-ahead gas-powered aerator if you have a large lawn or a hand-pushed one if your lawn is smaller.
Fertilize the Lawn
Fertilizing your lawn is a necessary part of promoting future growth, providing the necessary nutrients your soil needs. Before you fertilize your lawn, you will want to get the soil’s pH levels tested. That way, you can determine if it has any deficiencies that need to be addressed or has too much or too little acidity.
Spread Mulch
Spreading mulch around your lawn will help protect your plants from the cold. Spread mulch around the base of your trees and shrubs to protect their roots from harsh weather to prevent damage. Remember to spread it an inch from the base to prevent rotting.
Now that your lawn is prepared for winter, you can rest easy that next spring, your lawn will bloom healthy and beautiful. Please note that Hansen’s Tree Service does not provide lawn services. For your lawn service and landscaping needs, we recommend Pintor Landscaping.