It’s time to start thinking about next year’s lawn!
As we enter the cooler fall months the time is right to start thinking about lawn maintenance. Whether you’re looking to replace your existing lawn with new sod, repair the damage your lawn may have endured from a hot summer with lots of wear and tear or simply to prepare your property for winter, the early fall months present a great opportunity to get the best out of your hard work and see lasting results!
Let’s start with a new lawn!
Have you been waiting for the right time to replace your lawn? The time is now! Fall is ideal for laying new sod because it’s cooler and requires less water to establish due to less evaporation. It’s also more comfortable to work in cooler weather. Your lawn will be thick, healthy and looking great, not to mention less susceptible to stress damage from harsh winter!
Worried about the unpredictable fall weather? Hot one day, snow the next? No need to fret, you can even lay sod over top of the snow but it won’t actually establish until the next spring once the snow melts and the ground unthaws.
Next up, maintaining your lawn, preparing it for winter and giving it a jump start next Spring!
It’s as easy as 1-2-3! Topdress, overseed, fertilize!
1 – Topdressing
Topdressing helps to improve the health of your soil and goes a long way towards guaranteeing healthier plants the following year. Even though grasses are exceptional natural erosion control plants, thanks to their dense root structure, most properties will lose anywhere between an inch to two inches of soil each year due to erosion. When you topdress you add back in the soil lost from erosion. Soil compaction from wear and tear of the summer makes it all the more important to aerate and topdress your lawn each fall. Use garden soil or a nutrient rich soil enhancer or compost for best results and to improve tilth and promote healthy microbial activity. This helps to improve the health of your soil and promotes a healthier lawn in the spring!
2 – Overseeding
Repair or strengthen your lawn using seed. Seed does much better in the fall’s cooler temperatures for much of the same reasons as sod. You can repair damaged areas, fill in thinning lawns or even strengthen your lawn and improve its overall drought tolerance depending on which seed you use.
3 – Fertilize
The last thing to remember is to fertilize! An important step many people forget! Fall Formula fertilizer is created specifically for your lawns needs this time of year. It’s high in potassium to protect against winter damage and cold-stress. It adds nutrients to the soil that may otherwise not be present.
The 1-2-3 punch of topdressing with rich topsoil, laying new sod or overseeding and a little fertilizer this fall will take your average lawn to the envy of the neighbourhood next spring and all summer long!
