Fall Lawn Maintentance

Can you believe that fall is actually here? We had a great start with perfect fall weather, fingers cross that it will stay that way this year. Now that the temperatures have dropped, it will be all too soon before the frigid winter months are here. Now is the perfect time to get to work on your Marietta, Ga landscape to ensure that your yard will look great for another year. This is the top 10 fall landscaping checklist:

1. Aerate the lawn to allow nutrients and water to get down to grass roots in compressed soil. A walk behind aerator pulls out 2 1/2 in plugs that will break down naturally by spring time.
2. Now is a great time to fertilize your grass. Grass roots will grow until the ground temperatures reach about 40 degrees. Apply a high-phosphorus mix to courage root growth which will lead to green turf this spring.
3. Disease will have a harder time attacking grass with a short leaf. Make your last cutting take your grass down to about 1 1/4 inches.
4. Don’t let leaves collect on your lawn and decompose. Collect them into a simple compost bin made of chicken wire. Flip it once a week to aerate and you’ll have a pile of “black gold” this spring for fertilizing lawns, flower beds, and shrubs.
5. Fall is prime time for planting hardscape. The cool, moist soil of fall gives them a head start on establishing a root system before having to deal with harsher winter weather.
6. Trim off the dead limbs of your trees and ornamentals. This will prevent further damage from winter snow and winds – and prevent damage to your home. Cut the bad limbs close to – but not flush with – the trunk.
7. Don’t hesitate when cutting back your perennials. Cut them down to send their energy to their root system which will result in even more foliage in the fall.
8. Protect your young trees and plants with a new layer of mulch. Two to four inches after a light frost but before the ground freezes will help keep your plantings warm, control water runoff, and soil erosion.
9. Water left in your irrigation systems can cause them to crack when the freeze sets in. To avoid having to dig up your entire system to fix cracks and broken pipes, disconnect your adapters and blow out the water with an air compressor.
10. Tender plants will need to be covered in harsh weather. Make sure you have your plant covers ready for when the low temps and windy nights set in.

Img via mksfly on Flickr CC 2.0