FALL LAWN CARE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW WITH DINAMITEK
Dinamitek presents the definitive guide to proper lawn care in autumn.
Fall Lawn Care: Everything You Need to Know with Dinamitek
September is a time of great lawn vitality, which is why it's important to perform proper care and maintenance to avoid damaging it. The lawn must be prepared to withstand the winter and return to its healthy, vibrant state in spring, once the natural growth cycle has ended.
Here is the guide to know how to proceed and when .
Evaluate the season and adjust your irrigation. You shouldn't have stagnant water, but you shouldn't let the garden dry out either: the lawn grows until early October, and even longer if temperatures remain high, so it needs to be nourished throughout the season. Yes, you'll need to mow the lawn until then. The grass should always be kept short , so the soil rests and aerates while the grass grows stronger. Mowing frequency is less frequent than in the summer, but it's not time to put away the tools just yet. With a good push lawnmower or an automatic robot mower , the job will be simple and smooth. It's important not to use the mulching function, because in the fall this causes thatch to form: the lawn, in the fall, should be freed of the layer of cut grass. The grass can be placed in a composting bin or disposed of according to the instructions of your municipality. The last cut of the season, which generally takes place in early November, should not leave the grass too short . Mowing is suspended when the vegetative slowdown begins, that is, when the grass slows down its growth.
If your lawn has shaded areas, you may need to combat moss. There are specific products available. Remember to remove dry moss by scarifying and aerating, and fertilize the area with a slow-release fertilizer specifically formulated for the cold season. A lawn fertilizer rich in potassium is ideal. The potassium content should be higher than the nitrogen or phosphorus content to strengthen the turf, making it more resistant to fungal diseases and able to withstand the cold . Potassium prevents yellowing, while low-level nitrogen is needed for maintenance. When spreading fertilizer, remember to water to allow nutrients to penetrate the soil. Naturally, fertilize loose soil. The key rule for autumn is to keep the lawn clean : grab a leaf blower and have fun clearing away all the fallen leaves.
In autumn, the operations to be carried out change based on the geographical area of residence:
- In the North, post-summer fertilization is carried out in October, in addition to the anti-tear treatment for the lawn if you have a fungal disease problem that needs to be eliminated.
- In the South, the lawn is fertilized with a specific fertilizer with a high potassium content in November.
The lawn can peacefully survive the cold season by covering it with a layer of topsoil , composed of good agricultural soil (20%), aged manure (20%), peat and decomposed organic residues (the dose for 1,000 m2 is approximately 3 cubic metres). This operation should be carried out between the end of November and the first days of December.
The rule of thumb for everyone is to avoid walking on the lawn in winter: when it's frosted, frozen, or covered in snow, the grass is more delicate and breaks under the weight of footsteps. Not to mention that the compaction of the frozen layer suffocates the soil. Broken grass rots and looks in terrible condition in spring.
These are general guidelines. Going into specifics, it's necessary to differentiate care procedures based on the lawn's health :
- The lawn is substantially healthy .
As previously mentioned, keep the lawn low and well-ventilated. You can apply a biostimulant treatment using specific products. Then, fertilize with a time-release nitrogen fertilizer and begin a preventative treatment to combat the onset of fungal diseases.
- Stressed lawn .
The lawn looks run-down and tends to turn yellow . Always start by keeping the turf low and aerated (a universal best practice), then apply a biostimulant treatment, followed by fertilizing with a slow-release emergency greening fertilizer. After four weeks, re-fertilize with a revitalizing product suitable for autumn. Now you can apply the usual preventative treatment for fungal diseases.
- Stressed lawn with sparse or yellow areas .
A yellowed lawn or one with sparse, grassless patches requires urgent intervention . In addition to the usual operations, you'll also need to take care of reseeding. Start with biostimulation using a specific product and water sufficiently to allow the product to reach deep into the soil. After three days, cut the lawn very low, no more than 3 cm. If the grass is tall, you can achieve the final result by making two passes a week apart, so as not to further stress the lawn. Now it's time to thoroughly clean the thatch to prepare the area for a 3-4 mm layer of lawn compost. You can now reseed the entire lawn, distributing the seeds evenly and rolling the soil to insert the seeds deeply. Keep the soil moist and fertilized until the seeds germinate. Choose a specific fertilizer with a high phosphorus content. Remember to water early in the morning. Six weeks after sowing, proceed with supporting fertilization with specific slow-release products. Since it's now mid-October, this step is perfect for protecting against the winter cold. Now, if you really want to follow all the steps possible, continue with specific biostimulation with products suitable for weak lawns.
In the autumn meadow, you'll often find many earthworms busy digging and stirring the soil. Consider them precious allies: with their work, they aerate the soil and make it more fertile . Only if the aesthetic appearance isn't to your liking, because there are too many piles of earth, can you cover them with sand that dries out the residue, without harming your natural collaborators.