Do you love having a property with a beautiful lawn? Yes? Then you already know the secret to a beautiful lawn isn’t just luck, it takes time, effort, proper equipment and knowledge of the processes involved with maintaining a beautiful lawn. Our customers often ask us when the best time of year to work on their lawn is and our answer is always the early fall! The hot weather has passed and your grass is getting ready to go through a slower period of growth. This is the perfect time to catch up with some much needed lawn maintenance or repair.
Does Your Lawn Really Need Any Maintenance This Fall?
How do you know if your lawn needs fall maintenance? There are a few quick ways to tell if your lawn would benefit from a fall maintenance package or not. If the appearance of your lawn isn’t important to you, then none of these tips matter. If you care about the appearance of your property and a beautiful lawn is important to you, then read on.
- Does your lawn receive heavy traffic from kids or pets?
- Do you have large or small bare spots on your lawn?
- Does your lawn have dead or brown patchy areas?
- Do you have very dry or compacted soil?
- Do you just want to give your lawn the best care possible?
If you answered yes to any of those questions then your lawn would probably benefit from some of the fall maintenance services we recommend.
So What Do We Recommend For Fall Lawn Maintenance?
#1. Raking and Removing Leaves.
#2. Lawn Detatching.
#3. Lawn Aeration and Overseeding.
#4. Lawn Top Dressing.
3 Reasons Fall Is A Great Time For Lawn Maintenance
Don’t neglect your lawn until the spring. It won’t look as good as you’d expect, because it won’t be as healthy as it could have been. Here are 5 reasons you should consider doing lawn renovation or repair work during the fall.
#1. The heat of the summer is no longer an issue. When temperatures and humidity are very high your lawn is under stress. The results from lawn repair services are usually much better when the work is completed during the fall when air temperatures are cool and soil temperatures are down.
#2. As we go into the fall your kids and pets will be spend less time outside, on the lawn. Lower foot traffic is good for the lawn to recover from the repairs and maintenance.
#3. Your lawn is hungry for nutrients. As fall draws closer your grass is trying to enhance it’s root system. Your lawn needs to gather up as much nutrients from the soil as possible to develop a strong root system that will last through the winter. Detatching, aerating, and overseeding during this critical cycle can really give your grass a leg up in the winter and a head start for spring.
Raking And Removing Leaves
While a blanket of fall leaves across your lawn can really set the season it’s not really good for your lawn. As the leaves build-up and decompose they starve your underlying grass of oxygen. The decaying organic matter can also introduce fungus and mold to your lawn. These factors can all contribute to a patchy, rough looking lawn. When the leaves are done falling it’s a good idea to have them removed from your lawn so they can be composted at a proper facility.
Lawn Detatching
Over the course of a year (or many) your lawn builds up a layer of “thatch” at the base of the grass. This thatch is created as the grass blades criss cross and fall over top one another, throw in grass clippings throughout the year and this can really build up. It can give your lawn a matted appearance in some areas and it also prevents oxygen and nutrients from reaching the root system. The fall season is the perfect time to detatch your lawn.
Lawn Aeration & Overseeding
Another great fall lawn maintenance tip is to Aerate and overseed your lawn. This is a key part of any professional lawn care program, especially if you want your look to amazing the following spring. Aeration is required because over a long period of time (months or years) your grass can grow thick and matted near the soil and become very difficult for oxygen and other nutrients to reach the roots of your grass.
While dethatching will break up all the matted grass and debris, that’s all it does. As the aeration machine passes over your lawn it punches small holes into the lawn simultaneously removing a small amount of grass and soil, that we call “plugs”. These holes make it much easier for oxygen and nutrients to be delivered to the root system of your lawn. It’s common practice on golf courses and sports fields where the quality of the turf is crucial. For the homeowner, it’s a great way to have a lawn with that professionally maintained appearance.
Lawn Overseeding
When you’re already detatching and aerating your lawn it’s a great time to overseed your lawn too. Overseeding can encourage grass growth in areas that are patchy or brown or in areas that don’t look as lush after a long summer. Detatching, aeration, and overseeding is like a combo punch for your lawn and they can really help bring back a lawn from looking poorly cared for, to lush and healthy again.
Top Dressing Your Lawn
Top dressing your lawn is applying a 50/50 compost to soil mix in a very thin layer on top of your existing lawn or in any bare spots. This helps improve the appearance of your lawn in multiple ways. It can smooth out the surface of your lawn and fill in small dips and any small humps or lumps. It also provides the optimal conditions for new grass seed. Top dressing is a great addition to any lawn aeration or overseeding project as well.
Call Prosperity Lawn & Landscape For Fall Lawn Maintenance
Prosperity Lawn & Landscape is a landscaping and lawn care company based out of Centreville serving surrounding areas of Northern Virginia. We specialize in professional lawn care services which can include removing leaves, detatching, aerating, lawn overseeding, and top dressing. We can put together a fall lawn maintenance package that will have your lawn in great shape.
If you’d like to schedule your fall lawn maintenance we’d be happy to accommodate you. Please call (703) 901-1301 or fill out our online form and we’ll get right back to you.
