5 Essential Lawn Mowing Tips for Your Yard During the Fall
Most people think the season for mowing their lawn is Spring, however, the rains and mild temperatures in the fall encourage grass growth as well. It is necessary to mow in the fall to keep your lawn in tip-top shape and prepare it for the coming Winter. Read on to find out the five most important tips for fall mowing.
1: Cut the Lawn Shorter
In the fall, drop your mower blade to about 1-2 inches and mow your grass a bit closer to the ground than you would in other seasons. This will help you to protect your grass from frost as the colder temperatures set in and give it a good foundation to grow back healthier when it heats up again in the Spring. Continue to mow a little shorter each time in the fall until the grass is low to the ground and ready for its Winter hibernation.
2: Rake the Leaves Often
It is inevitable in the fall that your lawn will become covered in fallen leaves from the trees. To keep your grass healthy, rake up these leaves often to give it aeration and ensure you can see what needs to be mown. Leaves also block the light from reaching your lawn, stopping its necessary photosynthesis process and leaving you with a patchy lawn in the Spring.
3: Continue to Water
You may think that you can stop watering your lawn as the temperatures drop, but it is actually necessary to keep up with a consistent watering schedule to keep your lawn happy and healthy throughout the year. Wait until it is raining often to back down on watering, otherwise, you may be left with dry patches and discoloration in your grass. Make sure to keep up on a mowing schedule while watering, because the lawn can quickly grow out of control in the mild fall temperatures!
4: Keep a Schedule
You have to ensure you mow and maintain the lawn on a schedule in order for any of the care and time you put into it to be worthwhile. For example: weekly mowing, watering every other day, and raking a few times a week. This will help ensure you catch any problem areas before it is too difficult to fix them, too.
5: Mow at the Right Time of Day
Midmorning is agreed to be the right time to mow the lawn, regardless of season. Make sure to get out early so the grass has lots of time to heal from mowing before the colder temperatures of evening set in. This will allow grass to dry out and cut areas to callus over, protecting it from any potential frost, dew, or unpleasant weather. Early morning is the worst time of day to mow, as grass will often be wet. Your mower may get stuck in the mud, and things will get messy. Mowing at the proper time will ensure you have the best experience.
Caring for your lawn during the fall looks different from caring for your lawn during the spring and summer so make sure you do the proper research so you can keep your lawn healthy during the fall.