As the summer winds down, this can be the perfect time to prepare your Hudson, OH, landscape for fall. The care and direction of a landscape company professional can be what you need to get the lawn ready for winter weather and a springtime green up.
Related: 5 Reasons to Include Fall Cleanup in Your Lawn Care in Pepper Pike, OH
Have Your Soil Tested
When your landscaper tests the soil in your yard, they can better target which nutrients the grass needs to survive the cold winter. When they spread the fertilizer in the fall, your grass has time to store food in the roots.
Fertilize
Fertilizer is essential for lawn health, especially as fall and winter approaches. Your landscaper should feed the lawn about four to six weeks before the first frost to allow the roots to absorb food to store.
Fertilizer is composed of three primary minerals that boost the health and growth of your grass. Nitrogen ensures that the plant is healthy as it grows—your grass uses nitrogen the most out of the three minerals. Potassium protects the plant from disease and helps it to withstand extreme heat and cold. Phosphorus is linked to the plant’s ability to make food through photosynthesis.
Aerate
Your landscaper has equipment that can pull small plugs of dirt out of your soil to give the grass a chance to absorb more oxygen, light, and water. The small holes can be ideal for providing a place for new grass seed to germinate so many landscaping companies will recommend overseeding after aerating.
Weed Prevention
Throughout the summer, weeds will pop up even though you had pre-emergent weed killer applied in the spring. Left unattended, these weeds can take over your lawn and choke out the grass.
A landscaping company will recommend an application of post-emergent weed killer that eliminates weeds that have grown and prevents them from surviving until the spring. The goal is to start your spring lawn with little to no weeds for thriving grass growth.
Plan for Leaf Removal
Leaves that stay on your grass during the cold winter months can cause the grass beneath to die. Snow is heavy and that weight sitting on the leaves which cover the grass can provide an ideal atmosphere for mold to grow. Landscaping companies recommend clearing the yard of all leaves, branches, and debris that has fallen to give your springtime yard the best chance to thrive.
Irrigation
Irrigation is still critical to grass health even in the fall. Watering the new grass growth helps to establish roots that can overwinter well. Plan to irrigate until the mowing has stopped.
Another fall task can be to have your landscaper assess the irrigation system for any repairs before it is drained for the winter. Doing the irrigation maintenance in the late fall can have your system ready to water the grass when the warmer temperatures return.
Every lawn is unique and needs customized care to look its best and thrive. A skilled landscaping company has the expertise and equipment to give your grass exactly what it needs, in the correct amounts, and in an efficient manner.
Whether you need the full spectrum of lawn maintenance offerings or would prefer an al a carte approach, a landscaping company can make short work of expertly caring for your late summer/early fall lawn.
Related: How to Choose the Right Lawn Mowing Services in Auburn Township and Chagrin Falls, OH
