A Step-by-step Guide to End of Summer Lawn Care

After installing sod earlier in the year, many homeowners wonder what they can do to prepare their new lawn for cold weather and next spring’s growth cycle. If this sounds like you, then keep reading for tips on caring for your turf grass in Sunnyvale as summer comes to an end.

Step 1: Mow

Now that the days are cooling off, you may be eager to prepare your lawn mower for winter hibernation. However, you should continue to mow your lawn now and into autumn to help promote its health. In fact, as long as your grass is still growing, you should be mowing. Also, while cutting only a third of the grass length at a time, use your last 2 mowings of the year to trim your turf grass down to about 2-inches high, which can help prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

Step 2: Aerate

Aerating your lawn refers to punching holes into the dirt and extracting some of it. This process is used to separate compacted soil and make it easier for fertilizer and water to reach grass roots. Fall is a great time to aerate your lawn, so plan to either hire a landscaper to do the job or rent an aerator and take care of the task yourself.

Step 3: Rake

When left alone, leaf cover can be incredibly damaging to your grass by starving it of oxygen and promoting disease. For these reasons, you should start raking up leaves regularly once they begin to litter your lawn. However, if your lawn mower has a bag attachment, then you may be able to take care of leaf litter when you mow.

Step 4: Fertilize

Finally, to give your turf grass the fuel it needs to weather the winter and come back strong in the spring, it’s a smart idea to fertilize your lawn this time of year. Even though blade growth slows down this time of year, grass roots continue to grow at a healthy pace. Because of this, fertilizing in fall can help promote an established and nourished root system.