News » The Benefits of Fall Lawn Care

08/30/2019 - Aerate, Aerating, Dethatch, Dethatching, Fall Treatments, Fertilizer, Landscaping, Lawn Care, Maintenance, Natural, Natural Lawn Care, Organic, Overseed, Overseeding, Slice Seeding, Topdress, Topdressing, Winterizer

Ahh, summer... a sweet few months dedicated to playing fetch with the dog after work, kids playing in the yard and weekend cookouts. During these months, New Englanders typically find themselves spending more time outside, enjoying their green spaces rather than staying indoors. As we begin to gear up for cold weather and the inevitable scent of pumpkin spice, it's important to remember to prep our lawns for next year's round of fun in the sun. Here's a list of services that may help to keep your lawn healthy:

Aerating

Aeration is the process of puncturing the ground and pulling up plugs of soil, creating space so grass roots can receive enough air, water and nutrients to grow deep and produce a full, healthy grass. Compacted areas in your lawn can be caused by lawn mowers, heavy equipment or high levels of foot traffic. It is best to aerate a lawn during the cooler months, after mowing and summer activities have stopped and is usually recommended to supplement an aeration with a fall fertilizer to create a healthier lawn and soil.

Dethatching

Thatch is the spongy layer of dead plant matter between the green grass and soil surface. It can be caused by over watering, over fertilizing or from grass clippings. When water and fertilizer have an environment to stay saturated within, it becomes an ideal place for fungi and other lawn diseases to exist and spread. Dethatching is done to comb out any dead organic matter, allowing the live grass to be reinvigorated and is typically paired with overseeding to fill in any thin spots in the lawn. This can be especially beneficial if grass clippings are not bagged on a regular basis throughout the summer season.

Overseeding and Topdressing

Overseeding is a quick and easy way to thicken your lawn. Spreading grass seed over existing lawn space can help fill in any gaps and provide a fuller, improved lawn color. Topdressing is done by adding a light layer of loam/compost (about 1/4" depth) to a lawn, then additional grass seed. If the lawn has any pits, dips or patchy areas then topdressing might be the solution for you. We typically recommend dethatching be done before topdressing to ensure any dead material has been removed.

Fall Fertilizer/Winterizer

Feeding your lawn before it goes dormant is a good way to help the grass recuperate from the hot, dry summer and helps promote spring 'greening'. Fall Winterizers are typically high in Potassium, which helps strengthen plants against the stress of the cold. We encourage using organic fertilizers, so the overall soil quality is improved.

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