Easy Fall Lawn Care

Fall is a great time to give your lawn that extra boost it needs to make it through the winter months. Cool-season grasses especially need a fall feeding to get ready for next spring. Following are a few tips on how to winterize your lawn.

FERTILIZING
Cool season grasses, such as fescue, should be fertilized in September, October, or November. Specially formulated winterizing fertilizers are higher in potassium than regular lawn food. Potassium is the nutrient that makes grasses more winter hardy. Winterizers should be applied as the last fertilizer application of the growing season.

CONTROLLING LAWN DISEASE AND WEEDS
To help prevent lawn diseases during the fall and winter, be sure to remove leaves from your yard. Leaves left on the lawn encourage disease by preventing sunlight and air from reaching the grass. Either rake the leaves and add them to a compost pile, or go over them with a mulching mower, chopping them into a fine compost for your grass.

For weed control during the winter months, apply a pre-emergence weed killer. Some products feature a combination fertilizer and weed killer, called weed and feed.

MOWING AND WATERING
There is no need to water your warm-season lawn during the winter – most grasses go into dormancy. Before putting the warm-season lawn to bed for the winter, lower the mower to an inch below the normal setting and use a grass catcher attachment. This will pick up any weed seeds in the lawn and the closer cut will allow for better air circulation.

MULCHING
The best time to mulch is early fall, spring, and summer. Mulch retains heat and moisture. For best results throughout the growing season, use a lawn mower that can be easily converted from a mulcher to a bagging unit or leaf shredder.

WINTER GREEN
With the first freeze, a warm-season lawn begins to change from green to brown. This period of dormancy is part of the natural life cycle of turfgrass. If you find an amber field undesirable, there is a choice. Fall is a great time to overseed your dormant lawn to maintain a green appearance.

Overseed with annual or perennial ryegrass or blends of cool-season grasses. Bermuda grass tolerates overseeding better than Zoysia, centipede, or St. Augustine. Time the overseeding two-four weeks before the first killing frost. Annual ryegrass is often chosen because of its quick rate of germination. Perennial ryegrass is more tolerant of cold, disease, and drought.

GROUND COVERS
There are options for locations in your yard that may be too shady or moist to grow healthy grass. Fall is a great time to plant perennial ground covers such as mondo grass, liriope, and juniper to fill the void. They will cover the area year-round and reduce the amount of grass you must maintain.

This “How-To” is provided as a service from Lowe’s, the Original Home Improvement Warehouse. The information is intended to simplify jobs around the house. Lowe’s assumes no liability for omissions, errors, or the outcome of any project. The reader must always exercise reasonable caution, follow current codes and regulations that may apply, and is urged to consult with a licensed professional if in doubt about any procedures.

Reprinted with permission from Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse.

Visit Wake Forest’s Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse at 11800 Galaxy Dr.