The changing seasons can be fascinating to watch. But when summer starts turning into fall, closer attention needs to be paid by homeowners and commercial businesses to their lawn. That’s because inattention to this vital aspect of your property can have negative consequences when it comes to curb appeal.
While North Texas weather during the fall and winter isn’t quite as volatile as in other areas of the country, it can still have an impact on lawn services that have been ignored. For many, a simple lack of time to attend to such things may be the reason, which might mean contacting a commercial landscape company to handle the job might be the best course of action.
If you choose to take care of fall lawn care maintenance yourself, here are eight things you can do to help deliver quality grounds maintenance:
1. A Lower Mower
Dropping the blade no more than two inches on your lawnmower during the fall is important since it can help avoid the problem of higher grass becoming matted. That can cause later problems, just as cutting it too short can make it more vulnerable to the onset of colder weather. For the last cut or two before winter, drop the blade to its lowest setting.
2. Rake Those Leaves
Leaves falling from the trees is a telltale sign of fall, but letting them stay unattended won’t allow your lawn to breathe or get any sunlight. That means a dead lawn next spring that will cost more to get back in shape. Since this needs to be done frequently, it may be easier to have a commercial landscape company perform these duties.
3. The Value of Mulching
Those leaves can actually help your lawn continue to thrive when you use your lawnmower to naturally chop them up. Mulch that’s cut to the size of a dime is ideal since it’s small enough to allow bugs such as worms to help the recycling process. Getting to that point will take time, which might mean going with professional lawn services is the ticket.
4. Water That Grass
Fall weather generally brings wetter conditions, which many people assume addresses watering concerns for their lawn. Yet there are years in which the level of water is below what a lawn should receive, which can cause problems. A good rule of thumb is that one inch of water per week should be soaked into a lawn.
5. Fixing Bald Spots
Summer activity on a lawn, coupled with the brutal Texas heat can take its toll in the form of bare patches that crop up. Spreading a mix that can be bought at a lawn care store is the easiest option, but busy homeowners and businesses handling such tasks might find it easier to give the job to grounds maintenance professionals.
6. Fertilize the Lawn
Even if your lawn is in good shape, it’s important to make sure that you fertilize your lawn during the fall. Doing so will offer a protective cover from freezing and have the grass ready to grow again in the spring. The best possible time to fertilize isn’t at the beginning of fall, but instead the middle or late portion of the season.
7. Aeration
Before any fertilizing begins, it’s important to aerate your lawn to allow it to breathe. Ignoring this aspect will result in your soil becoming engulfed in thatch and other clogs that will prevent water and oxygen from connecting with it. Once aeration has been done, the fertilizer does the rest. You may not have a core aerator, but those who regularly perform grounds maintenance use it all the time.
8. The Importance of Timing
Choosing to address problems with your lawn on your schedule is not a good strategy to follow. For one thing, jumping the gun on fertilizing will come back to haunt you when cold weather arrives, while waiting too long on something like aeration makes that effort pointless. That means if you simply can’t fit in the time for these particular jobs, it’s best to go with professionals in the field.
The Best Option
Tending to a lawn is hard work, but it’s a necessary task that has to be performed. Lawn and Land Care has been a North Dallas fixture since 2002, having established a stellar reputation along the way as a quality commercial landscape company. So when you need lawn services performed by a trusted source, give us a call at 214-293-3793 or fill out our online form.