Fall can bring a host of new chores, especially if you have a lawn you like to keep looking neat. If you're running late for your fall lawn care as we head towards winter, don't fret: We've got just the tips for you to get your lawn ready for the season ahead. A recent CNET survey found that 53% of US adults are cutting back on nonessential spending, and if that sounds like you, doing your own lawn care might be worth adding to that list.
In a recent Reddit thread about lawn care advice for first-time homeowners, the focus was on how it can be overwhelming to handle fall yard maintenance, especially when you have a neglected lawn with weeds and bare spots. Experienced users noted that it's best to start with simple observation and maintenance instead of diving headfirst into major projects.
If you've got neglected grass on your hands and have found yourself mowing your lawn with reckless abandon in the past, you can take action now to help your yard survive the winter and flourish in the new year. With some help from two experts at Lowe's and Scotts, we've put together this guide with four steps on how to kickstart your lawn care.
1. Feed your lawn twice this fall
A fertilizer spreader is great for ensuring an even distribution across your lawn and is also helpful when spreading grass seed. Scotts fertilizer spreader distributing across a lawn.
Going to sleep for months without proper food would not bode well for anything, including your lawn. Ensuring it is properly nourished is vital to its health year-round, but especially in the fall and winter.
According to Matt Koch, the director of biotechnology, genetics and seed at Scotts, you want to apply two fall fertilizer feedings. Doing so can help strengthen the grass and repair the roots damaged by the summer heat.
Worm composting can generate great fertilizer for your garden and house plants. kaiooooooooooooo/Getty Images
It's also a great time to get rid of weeds before they go into hibernation. Applying a fertilizer like Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard in early fall both feeds the lawn and kills weeds, so you're ahead of the game come spring.
After about six to eight weeks, Koch suggests applying another fertilizer designed to support your lawn during winter so it can store energy for spring growth. He recommends doing this two to three weeks before the first expected frost.
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