Don’t Let the “End of the Season” Fool You
Fall is actually the busiest time for a healthy lawn, but many homeowners accidentally set themselves up for a rough spring. Avoid these common pitfalls:
-
Ignoring the Leaves: A thick blanket of leaves will suffocate your grass and invite fungal diseases. Mulch them with your mower or rake them up!
-
Stopping the Mow Too Early: Keep mowing until the grass stops growing. If it’s too long going into winter, it can mat down and cause “snow mold.”
-
Forgetting to Water: Just because it’s cooler doesn’t mean it’s wet. If you’ve overseeded, your lawn needs consistent moisture until the first frost.
-
Skipping the Aeration: Fall is the best time to punch holes in the soil to let oxygen and nutrients reach the roots.
-
Pruning Everything in Sight: Many shrubs (like spring-blooming azaleas) have already set their buds. Pruning them now means no flowers in the spring.
-
Neglecting the Gutters: Clogged gutters overflow and can drown the landscaping beds directly beneath them, leading to root rot.
-
Leaving Annuals to Rot: Pull up dead marigolds or petunias. Leaving them can harbor pests that will survive the winter.
-
Forgetting to Drain the Hoses: One hard freeze can burst a hose or, worse, an outdoor faucet. Disconnect and drain them before the temp drops.
-
Using “Cheap” Seed: You get what you pay for. Bargain-bin seed often contains a high percentage of “weed seed” or filler.
-
Skipping the Fall Fertilizer: This is the “meal” that feeds your lawn’s roots all winter long. Don’t let it go to bed hungry!
