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Fall lawn and garden care
Published Darla Grant-Braid - August 25, 2016
The pop-up grocery store nurseries have all been packed away and the potted mums are out. That can only mean one thing –time to start thinking about fall lawn and garden care. In addition to your summertime routine of mowing and weeding, now’s the time to consider strategies that will ensure the health and vitality of your home’s lawn and garden as they overwinter.
A common misconception is that this is the time to hold back on your yard work because of your lawn’s slowed growth. However, this is the opposite of what you should actually be doing. As Fall approaches, your lawn and garden need more attention than ever.
Here are a few of the ways to keep your landscaping healthy and well-maintained
Fall lawn care tips
Now is not the time to neglect your lawn!
Feed Your Lawn
Lawns are like any other living creatures that goes through a hibernation period. Prior to its long winter’s nap, your lawn is busily enjoying a non-stop Fall feast. It needs to take in as many good, rich nutrients as possible in order to survive the long, cold winter. That’s why it’s essential to provide it with a meal of good quality fertilizer.
Repair Bare Spots
If your lawn is dotted with dead spots, whether from pet urine, a child’s playhouse or inflatable pool, or simply due to the unseasonably dry summer, now is the time to start repairing the damage. Late summer and early fall temperatures allow you to reseed when the weather isn’t too hot or cold. NOTE – don’t use the usual fertilizer on the reseeded spots, or it will burn the new grass. You’ll want to go with a fertilizer specially created for seed starting.
Aerate
Many experts agree that aeration isn’t something that needs to be done every year, but rather every couple of years. If your lawn hasn’t been aerated in recent years, then now is a good time to do it. Core aeration prevents your lawn’s soil from becoming compacted and promotes the improved intake of water, oxygen and nutrients.
To perform this task, you can rent an aeration machine or contact a local lawn care company to do it for you.
Fall gardening tips
September is a big month for working in your flower garden. This is the time to start cleaning things up and preparing not only for winter hibernation, but also spring blooms. Here are a few tasks to get to in the coming weeks.
Planting
Now is the time to put spring bulbs and new trees or shrubs into the ground. Doing so in September gives their roots about 6 weeks to establish themselves before the frost sets in. However take note, if it seems like the summer is going to be particularly long, you may want to hold off till later in September, rather than at the start. This will prevent them from sprouting in this current season.
Preparing
During the months of September and October (let the weather help you dial in your particular schedule) you’re going to begin preparing your garden for winter. This means fertilizing, pruning and cleaning things up. This is also the time to try and ease the burden of next year’s weeding by removing as many weeds as you can now. Because weeds that aren’t removed can go to seed, and weeds that go to seed equals more weeds next year.
Local Canadian lawn and garden care professionals are right around the corner!
If you don’t have the time or are otherwise unable to take on your own fall lawn prep work, you’ll be happy to know that there are local lawn care professionals nearby who can take care of it for you. Simply browse the lawn care listings here on eieihome.com and to do research and request quotes from some of the professionals who work in your neighbourhood.