Fall Lawn Care: Tips and Tricks

Hang up your floaties and put away your flip flops because summer is coming to a close here in Gainesville and North Central Florida. It may still be hot outside now, but before you know it, the leaves will fall and there may even be a chill in the air. When the time comes, do you know what you should do in order to keep your yard looking its best?Our experts here at LawnMore have 5 tips and tricks to keep your yard healthy and happy as fall makes its way to the Gainesville area!

5 Fall Lawn Care Tips You Need to Know

1. Remove Fallen Leaves

Removing dead leaves from your yard not only keeps it looking clean and put together, but it actually helps protect your yard from disease. Leaves left on the lawn can lead to mold and other fungi as they prevent sunlight from reaching the grass underneath them. Diseased grass leads to dead grass, and dead grass can be a definite eye sore.As the leaves fall, you can use a rake or a blower to collect them. You can dispose of the leaves, or you can use them as compost in your yard. To do this, go over the leaves with a mulching mower which chops them finely enough to use a compost for your grass.

2. Fertilize For Future Growth

If you only fertilize your lawn once a year, many experts agree that the fall is the best time to get it done. As the weather turns cooler, your grass will begin to grow slower and slower. But, underneath the surface the roots continue to grow as quickly as ever. Fertilizing around this time provides the key nutrients your grass will need to have its healthiest possible growth when spring rolls around again.By mid-fall you'll want to apply a dry lawn fertilizer to all grassy areas. You can use a crank-style spreader, but for the best coverage you will want to use a walk-behind drop spreader. Even though the walk-behind might take a little longer, it is recommended as the best way to apply a consistent layer of fertilizer across your entire lawn.

3. Continue to Mow at the Right Height

It's a common misconception that as the weather cools, lawn duty becomes a thing of the past. The truth is, even as the temperatures drop in the fall you should keep up with your mowing. The key is to adjust your mowing height for best growth and long-term health.You'll want to keep it not too long in order to prevent fungi, and not too short so that the root system is still protected. Professionals recommend that you keep it at a height of about 2 ¬Ω to 3 inches to ensure healthiest growth in these cooler months.

4. Fill in Bald Spots

Balding spots in your yard are among the most common lawn maintenance problems, and they can be caused by fungal disease, incorrect sprinkler coverage, or a number of other things. Despite the cause, balding is not an attractive or healthy quality for your grass. So as you're preparing your yard for fall, this a great time to fill in any of those bald spots you may be noticing. The easiest way to do this is with an all-in-one lawn repair mixture. These ready-to-use mixtures contains grass seed, fertilizer, and mulch with all the nutrients your new grass will need.Before you spread this mixture, you'll want to use a rake to scratch loose the soil in any bald spots around your yard. Then, throughout these areas, spread a thick layer of your lawn repair mixture, lightly compact it, and water. To be sure this new grass grows healthy and strong, you'll want to be sure to water these areas thoroughly every other day for about two weeks.

5. Stay on Schedule

A key tip to keeping your yard healthy any time of year is to make a schedule and keep it all year long. If any of these steps are done too early or too late, your hard work may not reap the best results. Be sure to make a plan for everything you need done, and be ready to stick to it!

Let LawnMore Help You with Fall Lawn Care

We all lead busy lives, and if keeping up with your fall yard schedule is proving to be a difficult feat; LawnMore is here to help. Enhancing the beauty in Gainesville is our passion and is why we care deeply about proper lawn care and lawn maintenance.If you're looking for a lawn care company in the Gainesville, FL area, call LawnMore to schedule service and to get your lawn  properly cared for this fall.