Here in Kentucky, we get the best of both worlds in the fall: We’re far enough south that the bitter chill won’t set in until later in the year, but the trees start to turn colors a little earlier than our southern neighbors. As the season changes, it’s time to think about how to care for your yard during a time when it’s easy to ignore. Your grass doesn’t grow the same way in the fall that it does in the spring and summer, but the last thing you want to do is put your lawnmower away too early.
It Grows on You
Your grass will keep growing up until the first hard frost, so it’s important for the health — and appearance — of your lawn that you keep cutting it. Experts advise that you keep your lawn cut from two-and-a-half inches to three inches high in the fall, or else you could leave your yard vulnerable to matting or unwanted fungi. At the same time, you don’t want to mow your yard too short either, because doing that can damage the root system, which could also leave your lawn vulnerable to damage from the cold.
Please Don’t Leave
Those multicolored leaves sure are pretty, aren’t they? But if you don’t remove them from your lawn once they fall, they can cause serious damage to the grass growing underneath. Leaves on the ground block out the sunlight and potentially trap moisture. In combination, those things can deal a killer blow to your beautiful lawn. Put in the time with a rake or a blower and clear those leaves! And hey, while we’re at it: Continue to water your lawn in the fall. While the fall usually brings more water in the form of more dew and more rainfall combined with less evaporation, unless your lawn is getting an inch or more of precipitation in some form, you need to keep watering it until it’s time to put the lawnmower away.
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Attention, Please
Remember that your work’s not done when the summer season is over. Fall is a great time to pay close attention to your lawn’s needs and do the real maintenance work that will allow your yard to thrive the following spring and summer!