As the days get shorter and the weather swings chillier, succumbing into hibernation mode is easy. Though we may not be spending as much time outdoors, it’s important to still maintain your landscaping during the off season. We are lucky to live in a climate where we can have a thriving green lawn 365 days a year. Taking proactive care of your property now will bloom its benefits come those warm months. One of the largest elements to maintain in a yard is often the lawn and keeping your grass lush requires more than just watering and mowing. Roll up your sleeves for some dirty work and follow this guide to ensure your turf will still be green come spring.
Soil Testing
Testing the pH and fertility of your lawn’s soil during the fall can help you get ahead for spring. By measuring the alkalinity, acidity, organic content and other key indicators, soil analysis offers helpful insight into the plant’s growth potential and what it may be lacking in terms of nutrients. I highly recommend Perry Labs in Watsonville for soil testing. They will give you a customized recipe for what your lawn needs, ensuring you add only what is required.
Aeration
Just like trees and pants, our lawns need to breathe. Protect the soil in your lawn from surrendering to compaction or thatch, by regular aeration. Thatch is a nutrient and oxygen blocking layer of debris, stems and roots that can accumulate between the soil and vegetation. Restricted access to necessary nourishment will hinder your lawn’s ability to withstand harsh cold elements and winter months. Aerating creates holes in the lawn and punches into the soil, giving the roots access to water, oxygen and required nutrients. Its recommended to aerate before fertilizing in order to maximize the root’s contact with those vital minerals.
Fertilizing
Supplement your lawn with fertilizer around six weeks before the first frost of the season. This will provide the grass time to feed on the nutrients and establish strong roots that will conserve energy and survive a harsh winter. The moisture in fall mornings aids the turf in better absorption, so capitalize on the dawn’s dew by fertilizing in the first part of the day. Don’t forget that soil test, it will give you clear instructions on what fertilizers to use and the application rate.
Seeding
If summer was hard on your lawn, you may have some brown or bare patches that need filling in, or maybe the entire area could use some thickening. Seeding existing turf will help build a more robust lawn. The denser the turf, the better it can protect against weeds. Be sure to give enough time for the seeds to germinate before freezing temperatures roll in, when the soil temperature drops below 50 degrees your seeds will have trouble germinating. Fall is the best time to do this as the days are not too hot, the nights cool and the mornings full of moisture.
Watering
Though there might be more dew and less evaporation this time of the year, that doesn’t mean you should stop watering your lawn altogether. The morning moisture and light rains may not be enough to maintain a healthy grass throughout the whole season. At least 1 inch of water a week is needed to provide sufficient thirst for your lawn. If winter rains are producing that minimum, then you can cease watering on your end. Be cautious of overwatering, as fungal diseases can evolve in an overly moistened environment. If you have an irrigation system, now is the time to adjust its schedule for these requirements. Most controllers have a percentage adjustment, so depending on rainfall and your geographic location, you will want to crank that down to about 50% starting in December.
Mowing
Your lawn will start to slow its growth during these cooler months and the need to mow should be reassessed and reduced. Typically you can reduce mowing to every other week in the winter months. Ideally, the length should be kept at 2 ½ – 3 inches in height. If left too long, you’ll leave an opening for matting, mold and fungi to thrive. If trimmed too short, you may damage the roots and thus the grass’ chance of surviving the dismal, cold winter. Plus, mowing will help to get rid of leaf excess on your lawn; chopping up and spitting out a light mulch to benefit the soil beneath.
Weed control
Several types of weeds may bloom in spring, but their invasion begins much sooner. Halt the real estate that weeds may try to seize by hitting them when they are most vulnerable, in their beginning stages during fall. Multiple applications may be needed to fully stop these pesky plants from enduring to spring. This can be done with a selective herbicide that kills broadleaf weeds, while not hurting your lawn.
Leaf maintenance
A soggy grass will eventually lead to a dead grass, so leaf maintenance is important during autumn. If leaves are left to accumulate and pile up on your lawn, too much moisture will be trapped in and not enough light let though. Routinely rake, blow off or mow through the fallen foliage on your grass to not only protect it, but give your yard a tidier look.
As essential as each of these fall chores are to ensuring a healthy future lawn, their timing in order to be effective is just as critical. Fertilize too early, or with the wrong application and the rigid cold will kill any young, frail blades that have sprouted up. Sow too late and the survival of the seedlings will be drastically reduced. Put off aerating until spring and you’ll be giving weeds permission to make home of your hard-earned lawn. Managing this guide can be quite an undertaking, so hiring a professional to assist in several of these tasks is recommended if you’re feeling overwhelmed. The effort will be worth it when the first sunny and 75-degree day pokes its head out in spring. You’ll be proud to kick off your shoes and relish the carpet of fresh, green grass between your toes.