Winterize your yard

October 1, 2015 · 0 Comments

Aaaah, autumn.
The kids are headed back to school, the leaves are turning, and a chill is in the air. If you’re like most homeowners, fall also means an opportunity to spruce up your yard and cut down on the work you’ll need to do when the weather turns warm again.
Fall foliage may be beautiful to look at, but think twice before you allow it to accumulate on your lawn. If you don’t keep up with leaf removal, a blanket of leaves can suffocate your grass and block it from getting the sunlight, water and nutrients it needs. A good rule of thumb is that if you can’t see your lawn through the leaves, it can’t grow.
Proper leaf cleanup will give your grass enough room to breathe and help it come back healthier in the spring. Remove any thick layers of leaves, especially those that are heavy and matted from rainfall before they damage your lawn.
One of the best things you can do for your lawn is to treat weeds in the fall. Fall treatments knock out both annual and perennial weeds and can actually be the key to killing established perennial invaders such as dandelion and clover.
Aerate stressed lawns to encourage good root development before the upcoming winter. Aeration helps loosen compacted soil and create a better grass growing environment. Fall is perfect due to the cool air temperatures and warm soil temperatures. Dethatching and aerating should be done before over-seeding to ensure the seed makes direct contact with the soil.
Fall is the best time to overseed a lawn or repair thin or bare areas. The cool nights and mild, shorter days provide the ideal conditions for seed germination. Seeds are able to retain moisture better in these conditions and seedlings will thrive without the extreme heat that occurs in the summer months.
Fall is a great time to check out your deciduous trees and shrubs (the ones that lose their leaves) and see if there is any cleanup that should be done. Go ahead and prune out any dead or decaying wood. It’s also a great time to clean and thin out those large trees that are keeping you from growing grass in heavy shade. Let some sunshine in!
Old Man Winter may be on his way, but with a little work now, you can lay the groundwork for a happy, healthy backyard that’s ready to thrive next season.

By Michelle Janzen