Every homeowner dreams of a beautiful and green lawn. They spend most of their time on it during spring and summer, while neglecting it during fall when winter is fast approaching. That being said, fall is actually a key season for working on your lawn. Therefore, it is essential to do more than just raking the leaves when caring for your lawn at that time of the year.
Fall is the ideal time to prepare the soil for the coming winter and the return of spring as grass absorbs a large amount of water and nutrients during winter. It also needs a large amount of potassium to help it get through the cold season. It is also the best time to get rid of weeds.
Preparing the soil to have a green lawn
First, it is important to rake the leaves as they prevent nutrients from seeping into the earth. They act as a screen.
Cut the grass at a height of 5 cm. If you cut it too short, it will be at the mercy of insects, frost, lack of water and weeds.
Then, make sure that the soil is not too densely packed. Use a pencil to determine how dense the soil is. If the pencil gets in easily, the soil is well ventilated; otherwise, actions must be taken. Simply rent an aerator in a specialized store to remove cores of soil where the earth is densely packed.
Top dressing: a proven technique
Top dressing and overseeding are two very effective techniques used to keep the soil healthy.
Top dressing consists in applying a 2 cm layer of rich soil or compost once you have raked off the dead grass. It is important to apply it as evenly as possible. That way, the grass and the soil will have all the nutrients they need to get through the winter.
After top dressing, you must overseed the lawn with seeds. You’ll get a richer and more even lawn when it grows back. You may want to toss in white clover in the mix along with the seeds. This plant provides nitrogen to the soil, an essential nutrient for your lawn, which also eliminates parasitic insects. It is recommended to water the grass for 2 or 3 days, or more, following the overseeding procedure if it doesn’t rain right after.
Frequency of maintenance to keep a green lawn
You don’t need to repeat these steps every year, unless the soil is very dry, because it can take up to 3 years before the grass is healthy and looks beautiful again. For annual maintenance, you should rather focus on grasscycling after each mowing. This process consists in leaving the grass once it is mowed so that the soil can feed off the nutrients. It’s a simple and free method that will allow you to keep your lawn healthy and green.
Finally, the upside of this technique is that it is good for the environment, takes very little time, and only requires quick and easy maintenance thereafter. Who said that it was difficult to have the most beautiful lawn in the neighborhood? You are now ready to take care of your plants and shrubs.