Borst Landscape & Design has many services available to help with your fall lawn maintenance. Here are some of the services that we recommend:
- Fertilizing: This is probably the most important lawn maintenance step. If you have cool-season grass, we will use a winterizing fertilizer that is rich in potassium. This will feed the active roots and give them even more nutrients to store for winter. The experts at Borst Landscape & Design do not recommend fertilizing warm-season grass after the first of September, or you risk generating new growth that will be damaged by freezing weather.
- Aeration: We will aerate your grass to let water and nutrients reach the roots quickly. We have different aerators depending on the size of your lawn. Aerating prevents the soil from becoming too hard and compacted.
- Overseeding: This lawn maintenance option helps keep the weeds at bay in early to late fall. This will help the grass seeds germinate in the spring and the new growth will crowd out the weeds.
Reseeding: We will also look for bare or patchy spots of grass because fall is a great time to reseed those areas. - Weeding: Weeding now will save you a lot of time with lawn maintenance in the spring. We will pull any established weeds by hand, and also use a pre-emergent herbicide to prevent weeds in the spring.
Sprinklers: Your Borst Landscape & Design professional will recommend turning off the sprinkler system by the end of October, and flushing out the hose before a hard freeze.
What does it mean to Winterize your Lawn?
Borst Landscape & Design understands the importance of winterizing your lawn as an important lawn maintenance practice. Winterizing your lawn and garden areas helps your landscape prepare for the “off-season” as well as makes plants stronger in the spring. Fertilizing your grass in the fall is very effective because plants respond to the hours of daylight and temperature changes. As days become cooler and shorter, plants slow their growth and shift their food reserves from the leaves to their roots. Roots remain active even during the winter. Fertilizing grass in fall feeds the roots and gives them nutrients to store for winter. This is the secret to having healthy plants in the spring.
What is the Best Time to Winterize your Lawn?
The fall is the single best time to feed your lawn with fertilizer and also the best time to reseed. The reason for this is the cooler air, warm soil, and the chance of rainfall creates ideal conditions for the lawn. Winterizing your lawn is an essential part of fall lawn maintenance.
When should I Fertilize my Lawn for Winter?
At Borst Landscape & Design, we recommend that you winterize your lawn with two separate applications of fertilizer. The first application of winter lawn fertilizer should be applied in September, and the second application when the leaves reach peak color later in fall. However, if you want to simplify your lawn maintenance, we can apply winter lawn fertilizer once in late November or early December.
What Temperature is too Cold to Fertilize my Lawn?
Spring and fall are the primary growing seasons for cool-season grasses. This is why it is important to fertilize heavily in the fall and lightly in early spring. The ideal temperature range for when these grasses grow best is in the range of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The key to healthy lawn maintenance of cool-season grasses is to fertilize after the dry heat of summer but well before the onset of frigid winter weather.
Can you Fertilize After Frost?
We do not recommend fertilizing after frost. If you fertilize after winter sets in, you can actually harm your lawn. Applying fertilizer too late after the first frost can result in chemical burns, root damage, and blade damage. Your Borst Landscape & Design professional will be able to accurately assess the best time to apply fertilizer for your lawn and plan accordingly. The key is to include fertilization as part of your fall lawn maintenance.
Borst Landscape & Design will help you prepare your lawn for the winter so that you have the lawn of your dreams in the spring! Call today to schedule our services to provide you with any and all of your fall lawn maintenance needs.