Life and living: Proactive fall yard prep

Whether you have to prepare for snow—or just a slight change in the weather during the fall season, now is the time to get your yard ready. Apply a few of these tips from PopularMechanic.net to get your outdoor space in tip-top shape so you have much less work to do come springtime!

Mow for maintenance 

Throughout the fall, you should continue to water and mow your lawn on a regular schedule. Once you get to the last few cuttings for the year, cut grass shorter than usual to allow more sunlight to reach the crown. This will ensure fewer grass blades turning brown during the winter months. 

Allow for aeration

Fall is a great time to aerate your lawn, which allows air, water and fertilizer to easily reach grass roots. You can do this yourself with rented equipment or hire a landscape company.

Ready your rake

Remove fallen leaves from your lawn as soon as possible. Use a rake or a leaf blower to do a thorough job. This helps eliminate wet leaves that can suffocate your grass.

Fertilize for the future

If you fertilize your lawn once a year, do it in the fall. Grass grows far more slowly as the weather turns cool, but grass roots and rhizomes (a high-growth part of the plant) continue to grow quickly underground. Fertilizing during the autumn months delivers essential nutrients to strengthen grass roots.

Banish bare spots

Bald spots definitely detract from your lawn’s beauty. Autumn is a great time to do a little repair work. Try using an all-in-one lawn repair mixture containing grass seed, special quick-starter lawn fertilizer and organic mulch to fill in those unsightly bald areas.

Work on weed control 

Did dandelions take over your lawn this summer? If so, do some weed control now. Like most plants, weeds are in the energy-absorbing mode during fall, which makes them more susceptible to drinking in weed killer. Apply an herbicide now, and weeds are far less likely to return in the spring. 

Just a little bit of fall yard maintenance now will have your outdoor space looking like a million bucks later. Usher in spring with a lush, green lawn this year! 

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