Did you know that your Frankfort and Manhattan IL spring and summer grass depends on great preparation in the colder months? Don’t forget to plan and execute the fall tasks that get your lawn winter ready.
Remove the Leaves
When they are filling the trees with healthy, green color, the leaves look amazing but when they are on the ground mounding up and seemingly never ending, they are annoying. Removing the leaves from the grass is a non-negotiable when it comes to preparing your lawn for the winter months.
You must rake the leaves from the lawn and remove them several times before the fall season is over. Leaving them there can mean that you have mold and dead grass after the winter snow has melted. Removing the leaves in multiple raking sessions can keep your grass leaf-free for the fall tasks that prepare the lawn for a thriving growing season in spring.
Mowing
Mowing is a critical task that must continue until the first frost or until the grass stops growing. In preparation for your winter landscape, mowing the grass low can get it ready for the next important steps. While mowing the grass high is usually the right choice since it protects the roots from the hot sun, mowing the grass low in the fall is a unique task that has a specific purpose.
Aerating
Aerating involves running an aerator machine over the grass to pull small plugs of soil from the ground. The soil breaks down and stays to provide nutrients for the grass while the small holes give an ideal spot to catch the new grass seed, let the sunshine and oxygen reach the roots, and hold the fertilizer that provides food for the grass. Aeration also removes the compaction of the soil to let the grass roots absorb as much of the nutrition and sunlight as possible to prepare for the dormant winter months.
Fertilizing
Fertilizer is a pellet of nutrition composed of micronutrients. When the fertilizer is spread over the grass, the water breaks it down into usable nutrients that penetrate the soil and filter to the roots. The grass stores the nutrients for food during the winter.
Made of three primary micronutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are needed for healthy grass growth. Nitrogen is essential to the formation of protein and to the overall health of the plant while phosphorus helps plants grow and develop normally. Potassium is essential to preventing disease and withstanding the harsh summer conditions.
Grass Seed
The warm ground and cool temperatures can make fall the perfect time to grow new grass before the winter arrives. Many homeowners like to have new seed spread over the existing grass to fill in blank spots and encourage the most vigorous growth.
The seed falls into the small, aerated hole to germinate due to the abundant moisture, sunlight, and oxygen that create an environment for grass to grow.
Fill in Low Spots
This is the time to fill in low spots with rich soil and compost. Spreading the soil over the bare spots can give the grass seed a boost to grow. Once the seed germinates and starts to grow, this is what you want for your lawn to become thick and lush.
If this is too much to keep up with, you need a lawn service that can accomplish these tasks for you in a jiffy.
Related: WHEN DO LANDSCAPERS NEAR ME SAY IT'S THE RIGHT TIME FOR LAWN FERTILIZATION IN HOMER GLEN, IL?
