As the leaves fall and the crisp air blows in, it’s time to take advantage of the last few weeks to put the finishing touches on our lawn before winter rolls in. But what are the most important things to do to your lawn before the first frost? Focus on your lawn, the leaves and plan ahead for spring!
Lawn
One of the best ways you can get a full, lush lawn after the snow is by overseeding your lawn, especially if you have cool-season grass. Overseeding a lawn consists of spreading seed over the grass that already exists. You’ll need to cut your grass extra short and remove all the extra clippings before you spread the new seed.
If your grass took a beating over the hot summer months, you may want to start planting a new lawn instead of just overseeding. Whether you decide to lay sod or plant seed, be sure to take the appropriate steps to prepare your lawn. Check out some tips for planting a new lawn here.
Leaves
Raking leaves is a quintessential fall pastime – something we all have memories doing. But do you know exactly why we rake leaves in the first place? Aside from ensuring that the grass can breathe and preventing mold from the snow, it’s important to rake leaves so that grass, especially cold-weather grass, can get the sunlight it needs to grow.
There are a few ways to go about raking leaves – with rakes, a leaf blower or a mulching mower. Once leaves start falling, it’s a good idea to rake the leaves within three or four days, depending on how many leaves you have in your yard. Remember, you don’t have to rake up every single leaf – just enough to make sure your grass gets the sunlight it needs and to prevent mold when the snow rolls in.
Plan ahead for spring
There are a handful of bulbs you can plant to color your springtime – but you need to plant them before winter. Check out the list of bulbs that you can plant in the autumn here. Don’t forget to mulch your garden and compost your remaining garden plants for fertile soil in the spring. Check out more fall garden prep tips here.