Did you notice the welcomed break from the scorching heat this week? Just like us, your landscape is breathing a sigh of relief. As the temperatures start to drop in the evenings and mornings, and the days become cooler, it’s a signal that it’s time to start planning some fall revitalization for your outdoor space.
Throughout the growing season, fall provides the most consistent cooler weather with a higher certainty of rain events over longer periods of time. Given our lawns are a cool season plant, their growth is most prominent at this time of year. With new growth being most active, it makes for the most ideal time of year to perform renovations like seeding or aerating as the lawn is more tolerant and receptive to it. Fall should also be used to gear up your lawn for the next time it comes across an undesirable environment (i.e weed germination in the spring and heat of the summer). Strengthening and improving its ability to compete against physical and environmental stressors takes more time than you think!
While considering your fall renovation options, we wanted to highlight one of the more commonly asked-about services that we actually educate away from - dethatching. While dethatching might offer benefits in specific situations, it’s not universally essential and, in fact, could prove detrimental to your turf by causing harm to the crown of the plants. On the other hand, core aeration offers a range of comprehensive benefits. Not only does it address decomposition of that tatch layer, but it also fosters the expansion of the lawn’s root systems, allowing the turf to thicken up. It counteracts soil compaction that can develop due to summer activities, enhances soil structure, improves root growth, and allows nutrients and water to penetrate more effectively, all of which are essential for a healthy lawn. This extra step contributes in numerous ways to cultivating an environment where your grass can flourish, out-competing any potential weeds. This effect is amplified when coupled with proper watering and mowing techniques. So, when considering fall lawn care, remember that core aeration offers a broader range of advantages than the often overhyped dethatching process.
If you are experiencing bare patches, fall provides optimal conditions to introduce new growth to those areas. The cooler temperatures and higher humidity mean that newly sown seeds stay moist for longer, allowing a reduction in the frequency of watering. Additionally, when seeding, it’s crucial to ensure good seed-to-soil contact, often requiring a bit of topsoil along with the seeds. If you’re interested in handling seeding yourself, our high-quality seed is available for purchase in 2 lb bags, which is perfect for smaller areas (any leftover seed will remain viable for next year if stored properly as well).
Should you have any questions or uncertainties about fall revitalization or if you’re considering our other services, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. Our office is here to assist you anytime!
