Fall Tips for a Healthy, Hassle-Free Spring Lawn
As fall leaves and temperatures begin to drop, now is the perfect time to get a jumpstart on a beautiful, healthy spring lawn. We recommend the following fall treatments and services to preserve and protect your lawn and irrigation systems.
Fall Clean-Up and Fertilization
Once Mother Nature’s gorgeous hues of autumn leaves flutter to the ground, it’s time to clean up! Large amounts of dense leaves can smother grass and plants, grow fungus, become toxic to certain plants, and are unsightly. Fall is also the perfect time to remove dead annuals, trim back perennials, as well as address overgrown trees and shrubs. Our fall fertilization program is also formulated to provide additional nutrients Midwest lawns need over winter to energize root growth in the spring.
Core Aeration, Verticutting and Overseeding
Air, water and nutrients delivered to a lawn’s root system by core aeration in the fall is essential to building a strong root system and a healthy, lush lawn come spring. Our region’s compacted, clay soils drive the need for aeration. It’s the reason why area golf courses and sport turf facilities aerate monthly. At a minimum, we recommend a core aeration in the fall for our residential customers.
During core aeration, our lawn care specialists use a machine with rotating tines to punch small holes in the lawn by removing small plugs of grass and soil. The plugs of soil that remain on the lawn’s surface then go to work. They contain microorganisms that help to break down thatch – a layer of roots, grass, leaves, etc. – that has built up on the soil’s surface over time. This soil decompaction process allows air, water, nutrients and seed to more effectively work their way below the surface, improving soil conditions, and ultimately strengthening your turf’s root system.
During verticutting, we use a machine with blades to slice rows into the soil after the lawn has been seeded to improve seed to soil contact. New grass grows in more evenly (different from more concentrated aerated patches).
In the Midwest, fall is also the perfect time to overseed a lawn. Grass seed germinates quickly in the newly formed plugs of soil, ripe with air, water and nutrients. Protective overseeding combined with optimal fertilization can produce a beautiful, lush lawn.
Sprinkler System Winterization
Prepare & Protect! A professional sprinkler system winterization is relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of freeze repairs. We’ll be reaching out to schedule this preventative maintenance service, but if you have a preferred date in mind, please give us a call: 816.505.0444.
