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Soil profile 236x288 38.76 KB. Units are inches. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Important Fall Lawn Care Jobs
Maintaining a beautiful and healthy lawn is a year round job and much of the work of
maintaining your lawn happens in the fall.
Watering
The
typical lawn needs about one to two inches of water a week in the
summer. In the fall, watering can be cut in half, but the lawn should
still be thoroughly watered. The soil should be moistened to a depth of
between a half a foot to a foot. The deeper the lawn is watered, the
better.
Fertilizing
The lawn should be fertilized no more
than twice a year, and one of those times is in early fall for
cool season grasses. A slow release fertilizer made for lawn grass should be
used.
Sterilized sludge can also be used.
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Lawn grass zones of the U.S. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Mowing
During
the fall, most grasses should be mowed to a lower height than it is in
summer. For example, Kentucky bluegrass can be mowed to one and half
inches in the fall, while it’s mowed to three inches during the summer.
St. Augustine grass might be mowed to two inches in the fall, while it’s mowed to
three inches in the summer. However, grasses like buffalo grass and blue
grama grass are generally mowed to the same height in both summer and
fall. The property owner should check with their
lawn care specialist.
Aeration
Because
people walk and even play on the lawn, the soil can become compacted.
Sometimes, soil is so compacted that it stops the grass from getting
air, water and nutrients. Thinning out the grass weeds and thatch are
part of aeration. The lawn should be watered the night before it’s
aerated.
The most efficient way to aerate a lawn is with an
aerating machine, which can be rented from a gardening center. As it's
run, it pulls up small bits of sod and soil and tosses them to the side.
When the machine is finished, the owner should rake up the plugs,
crumble them, mix the soil with coarse sand and peat moss, then use it
to top dress the lawn. The back of a rake can be used to smooth it out.
Then, the lawn should be watered to a depth of at least six inches
Mulching
Grass
clippings can be gathered up and used as mulch, which can be spread
around the roots of shrubs and trees. Mulch shouldn’t be piled up around
the trunks or stems. Grass mulch might be two or three inches deep,
depending on the type of soil. Sandy soil needs a thicker mulching than
clay soil, as it dries out more quickly.
Leaf Cleanup
Fall
is also the time for leaf cleanup. Leaves can also be chopped up and
used as mulch. The best way to rake leaves is with a bamboo rake. The
worker should use the rake like a broom and sweep it across the body
instead of pulling it toward the body. Every two or three months the
rake should be soaked in water overnight to keep it flexible.
No Time?
Not everyone likes to work outside and not everyone has the time, equipment and energy to do lawn maintenance, so don't hesitate to hire a
professional lawn care company or a
master gardener if you don't have the time, energy, interest or health to do the job. DIY is great when you can do it, but don't be hard on yourself when you can't.
2 comments:
Fall is the best time to care for our lawn. It is this time that the grass plants are tired and worn out because of the drought of the summer. Giving appropriate care and treatment during the Fall can revive the grass plants and ensure a lush lawn when Spring rolls around.
Atlanta Lawn Treatment
It is important to remember the basics of fall lawn care. Though many find it difficult to maintain motivation for yard work this time of year, the early fall months are the perfect time to prepare your lawn for next season.
lawn treatments in Nashville
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