There’s no denying that fall is the best time of the year. The leaves begin to change color, pumpkin patches are seen everywhere with apple and pumpkin-flavored everything, classic Halloween movies come on, and who can forget much-anticipated and thrill-ridden Halloween parties? There’s clearly a lot to love about Autumn, but what’s hard to love is cleaning up the scattered mess of leaves that graces your lawn every fall.
But don’t worry. This autumn is going to be different. How you may wonder? Because we’re here to help you with your fall yard clean-up routine! Follow our step-by-step guide to improve your lawn and turn it into a well-manicured lush space!
1. Mow Your Lawn
If you think your lawn needs a good mow only in summer, think again. Mowing should be on top of your lawn maintenance checklist during the fall. This is because the grass may seem to be growing slowly, but it’s absorbing all the moisture and nutrient for sustaining a long cold winter.
While you may not need to mow your grass as frequently as you may need to in any hot season, you still need to mow. Water your lawn first, and then mow it. But before you do the latter, make sure to bring the mower’s blade to its lowest setting. Doing so will help sunlight meet the crown of the grass. This, in turn, will prevent leaves from turning brown during the winter. Keep in mind, when mowing, do not clip more than 1/3rd of the grass blades at any given time.
2. Consider Soil Aeration
Fall is also a perfect time to aerate your lawn. Soil aeration helps air, water, and fertilizer to easily reach the grassroots. This allows the roots to become strong and healthy and produce a much vigorous lawn.
Aerating is easy on you when the soil is moist from rainfall. If you live in an area that receives rainfall during the fall season, aerating is just the right thing to do afterward! However, never aerate excessively wet lawns. Wait for a day or two instead. You can get any aerating machines – spike aerators, plug aerators, or slicing aerators.
If you have a big lawn and lack time to mend your lawn, you can hire a professional lawn service that can do the job for you. Once you’re done aerating your lawn, allow soil plugs to dry where they fall. They will crumble down in the rain or in the next mowing session, adding nutritious organic matter to your lawn.