As the cool breeze swoops in and the leaves gradually change to sunset shades, fall begins. It seems like summer has come and gone, taking our lush, green, grass with it.
However there is no need to worry, your hard work this past spring and summer absolutely pays off, seeing that there is nothing you need to do to winterize your lawn. It can be confusing thinking of all the elements that go into lawn care, how do we know when and what to use? Here are some tips on how to become a lawn expert this fall.
Ellen Huckabay, a regional agent for the Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers advice when caring for your lawn this season. “A normal lawn should be turning brown or becoming dormant. With this, you don’t want to do anything that would make your grass transition from green to brown more slowly,” she adds, “anything that prohibits this transition could damage your grass in the long run.”
The Basics
It doesn’t take an army to keep a home’s curb-appeal top notch. Extension’s Home Lawn Maintenance article states that an average quality lawn can be maintained with minimal, money, time and effort. A healthy, dense stand of turfgrass is the goal, no matter what level of quality you desire.
When referring to minimal upkeep, experts mean simply mowing and fertilizing your lawn. However, seasons and weather should be taken into consideration before fertilization. Huckabay insists, “warm season grasses do not need fertilization during the fall.”
Extension publication Home Lawn Maintenance suggests,”mowing is key when managing your lawn. Mowing is probably the most overlooked maintenance practice, but most important.” It encourages the dense turfgrass you strive for. Without proper mowing, fertilizer, pesticides, seed and other treatments will be unsuccessful. When looking into the best mowing option for your lawn, consider how fast your turfgrass grows, the height and frequency you need to maintain and the type of mower you are using.