Show love to your grass
Even though things are slowing and the temperature is dropping, continue to care for your lawn. If you’re receiving enough rain to where water is pooling above ground, take the time to aerate your lawn. This can be as simple as running a garden fork through a smaller yard, or if you have more property, use a walk-behind aerator. By aerating your lawn, it allows the trapped moisture down into the soil providing nutrients to the root system.
Before your first hard freeze, ideal temperatures being around 40 degrees Fahrenheit, fertilize your lawn one last time. Because grass roots continue to grow in temperatures at or above 40 degrees, this is a good time to provide nourishment before hibernation.
Continue to mow a couple more times before the first hard freeze to ensure a grass length of 1 ¼ inches long. Disease has a harder time spreading in trimmed grass, and the leaves will blow across the yard because there is nothing there to stick and latch onto.
Tend to your leaves
It’s really a personal decision on how you care for your leaves. If you prefer a spotless yard, raking and bagging your leaves is your best option, however, the best option to protect and nourish your lawn in cooler temperatures is to mulch the leaves into your grass by mowing over them. The mower shreds the leaves, and the leaves decompose and act as a natural fertilizer and weed control.
Tend to tree limbs
The last thing you want to deal with are large tree limbs and branches causing property damage when they break under the weight of heavy wind, snow, or ice. It is imperative to your fall cleanup to trim dead and diseased branches. For especially large branches, contact a professional lawn and garden company.
Mulch
Preventatively mulching young plants is a great measure to take to ensure healthy plants in the spring. You can use mulch from the leaves in your yard, wood chips, or weed free straw. Apply a light layer, two to four inches total. Any more will suffocate the roots and potentially cause the plant to die.
A professional lawn and garden service
If you have beautiful landscaping, but perhaps not a green thumb, don’t risk your yard and call a professional service. Acres of Green is the authority on lawn and yard services. Call them today for a free on-site assessment!