More than one good reason for fall lawn care
The signs are all there — Christmas decorations are out at Target, parents are counting down the days until school starts again, you’ve accepted that you’re probably not going to be beach-body-ready until next June. The dog days of summer are upon us. And probably the last thing you want right now is a reminder that winter’s wicked chill is just around the corner.
It’s time to stop pretending. You’re pooped. After a long, hot summer of swimming, biking, and kids — plus mowing, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, watering, and more — you are just plain wiped out. So do you gotta do all that fall yard clean up? Technically, no. Not if you’re okay with having a sprawling patch of brown dying yard next year that looks more like the South Dakota badlands than a gorgeous, green Minnesota outdoor living space.
Yeah, we didn’t think so.
Here’s why you need to do all the things now, for the beautiful lawn later.
Aerate
Aeration alleviates soil compaction, which in turn, allows the proper circulation of air, water, and nutrients to the soil and your grass plants. If your lawn has excessive thatch or debris under the surface, the roots of your grass could be starving for those vital elements. Poor grass! How do you know if your lawn needs aeration? Look for worn, high traffic areas, puddles after water, run off after watering, or portions of lawn that don’t seem to stay moist after irrigation.
Winterize irrigation system
Even if you think you’ve drained the water out of your irrigation system, it’s likely some water still remains. Once the outdoor temps dip, that left over aqua will freeze, expand, and do some wicked damage to your system’s pipes. To ensure that doesn’t happen, you should have your system “blown out” or winterized. Although you can DIY a sprinkler blow out with a rented high pressure compressor, it’s often best to contract with a professional who has the equipment and experience to do the sprinkler blow out job right (bonus…nobody gets hurt!).
Fertilize
Summer heat and drought can take its toll on your turf — yeah, even your grass gets tired — while autumn’s cool nights and warm days make for ideal grass growing conditions. Applying fertilizer now, before the snow flies, gives your lawn the leg up it needs to get through the long winter ahead and emerge green, healthy, and strong in the spring.
Fall yard clean up
Ever considered simply leaving your leaves on the lawn instead of raking them up in the fall? Technically, you could. That is if you’re prepared to reseed and resod in the spring. That’s because leaves that pile up will block out sunlight, grow mold and fungus, reduce water evaporation, and pretty much kill your lawn. So maybe the raking, bagging, and pile jumping are worthwhile after all.
Of course, if you still can’t muster up the energy, Rock Solid would be happy to do all your you. Then you can sit back, relax, and enjoy the autumn. Or, if you prefer, sit forward, be tense, and wait for winter. You do what you gotta do!
