As the lovely red and gold of New Jersey fall color begins to blanket our lawns, it is all too easy to put away the gardening gloves and retreat inside. The lawn itself, after all, can manage quite well without our attention until spring. But for those of us who are savvy, this is the most crucial time of all. The work you put in during these dry fall weeks is an investment in a beautiful landscape all year long.
For amazing results, it’s wise that you entrust the right experts. Professionals understand the climate including the blistering summers and cold winters that require a special touch. Specialists will help set up your lawn for the upcoming colder months of the year.
The Foundation Care: Aeration and Seeding
Before even considering fertilizer, it is crucial that you address the foundation of your lawn.
Winterize Your Lawn Before It Gets Cold
Summer play, activity, and weather cause the earth to compact so that it becomes a blockage which prevents water, nutrients, and oxygen from reaching the roots.
Aeration removes small plugs of soil from your lawn, forming channels that improve the flow of air and water. Timing is everything in New Jersey, that’s why it is ideal to start early to mid-fall. This is a time when the temperature during the day is relatively warm and the ground is not muddy. This will allow the grass to breathe and till deeper before the soil freezes.
It is important to follow up aeration with seeding. Cool-season grasses, such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and fescues, will repay with a second lush of growth during fall. The seed will fall into the holes of aeration, in optimal soil contact. This gives a more solid, and denser lawn that weeds simply can’t compete with next spring. In short, it’s the single-most valuable thing to do to heal summer damage.
Fall Fertilization
Fall fertilization can be compared to giving your lawn a strong meal so that it can last a prolonged hibernation. It feeds the root system underground that can’t be seen while spring nutrition programs feed the green grass blades that are visible. The strong deep roots allow the grass to make it through winter, survive the drought stress in summer, and bloom faster when warm temperatures return.
It is advisable to look for a fertilizer that has a larger percentage of potassium. The reason behind this is that potassium promotes plant hardiness by increasing resistance against cold, disease, and wear. It also does a great job of strengthening the cell walls. It is important to apply fertilizer in late fall when the roots actively store food and the grass has grown tall.
The Final Cut and Leaf Management
Your last mow of the season is more important than you know. Never let your grass go into winter long and unruly. High grass will mat down under the snow, and will act as a breeding ground for fungal diseases like snow mold. Instead, lower your mower blade incrementally with every pass. For your last mow, set it at about 2 to 2.5 inches. The shorter length avoids matting while still leaving sufficient blade to give energy to the roots.
When it comes to the leaves, a thin scattering can be mowed over to provide natural organic matter. But a thick, matted layer is a lawn killer as it acts as a breeding site for bugs. Consider them for your compost pile or as mulch for vegetable beds.
The Last Tidy-Up
A complete fall clean-out does more than just make your property look neat as it acts as a preventive measure for maintaining plant health. You can start by pruning out dead perennials to focus the energy into the roots. This action also helps to prevent overwintering diseases. Another option is to eliminate debris from downed limbs and other vegetation from lawn spaces.
In the event that you have an in-ground irrigation system, it is crucial that it be professionally blown out and winterized to prevent costly freeze damage to pipes. This is a basic service that we provide at H.T. Lawn & Landscaping to protect your investment.
The task of winterizing your lawn needs the right equipment, patience, and familiarity with the seasonal cycle of New Jersey. As a homeowner, you should consider investing in a professional team that gets the job done right.
At H.T. Lawn & Landscaping LLC, we use seasonally aligned care supported by research to create resilient, healthy landscapes. The goal of our fall rejuvenation program is to strengthen your grass from the ground up so that it can survive the winter.
