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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. |
| 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.
