Spring and summer are the two seasons that we spend most of our time in the garden, and as the months get colder and we spend less time outside, it can be easy to stop paying much attention to the lawn. Several simple jobs can have a significant impact on your lawn’s health over the autumn, though, and will make the amount of work you need to do the next year considerably less.
After a long summer of children playing and BBQs, your lawn will be worn out and most likely not in the condition at the end of spring and the start of summer. Properly caring for your grass in the autumn can help reverse any damage done through the summer, and help roots grow to survive the winter better.
The first job to do in the autumn is scarifying or raking your lawn, which will help remove any thatch that has grown over the summer. Thatch is the name given to the fine layer of old grass and dead moss that builds up when you mow the lawn, which becomes compacted with people running over it, and can stop water and fertilizer from getting through to the soil roots where it’s needed. To properly scarify the lawn, you’ll have to rake quite rigorously and need a strong metal rake to get the job done. Take care to remove the thatch without damaging the grass around it, and raking too hard can cause more harm than good.
Aerating, also called spiking, is another task that should be done in the autumn. After being used all summer, it’s common for the soil to compact, which will prevent water and oxygen from getting into the roots of your grass. Aeration is the process of creating small holes in the ground with either a garden fork or an automatic aerating machine at around 10 cm apart over the whole lawn.
You’ll also want to continue moving the lawn through autumn until the grass stops growing. You’ll likely need to mow the lawn less frequently than over the summer, but every few weeks or once a month will still be needed until closer to winter. A strimmer or whipper snipper can be used to edge off the lawn, and you can find whipper snipper tips here for more information.
Finally, it’s an excellent time to give your lawn a fresh fertilizer treatment, ideally using an autumn blend. Fertilizer for the autumn time is high in potash and phosphates, which promote root growth and help the grass remain strong over the winter. If you live in a dry region, then a liquid fertilizer is recommended, and if there’s a high likelihood of rain, then opt for a granular feed instead. If you find that it doesn’t rain for several days after applying granular fertilizer, water the garden yourself, so the grass doesn’t burn. Taking these steps will ensure that your lawn is healthy and ready to handle the winter months. for more check here Riverside tree and lawn experts.
