Fall and Winter Lawn Preparation

As the grass growing season winds down and your Raleigh lawn maintenance program starts to come to an end, it is important to take the proper steps in winterizing your yard so you can have a beautiful lawn in Spring.

One of the most beneficial services you can perform on a lawn is aeration. Aerating pulls cores of compacted dirt out of your lawn to allow air, water and nutrients feed the roots of your lawn. A perfect compliment to aerating, if you have fescue grass is to overseed at the same time. Overseeding repairs your fescue lawn after a long, hot and dry summer. This service is typically done in the fall, usually beginning in September and through the end of October. This is also a great time to fertilizer using an 18-24-12 starter fertilizer to really give your new grass a kick start.

With the change in weather, we will soon start to see our beautiful trees drop their leaves. It is very important to keep your lawn clear of leaves and debris during the winter. Even if the grass isn’t growing much, leaves that sit on your lawn for too lawn with decompose, and with that also kill your lawn. The city of Raleigh offers curbside leaf collection during the fall and winter. Pro tip: cut your grass short going into the winter and your leaf cleanup will be much easier!

Winter is also a great time to prune and cut back your perennials. Without leaves, it will be easier to see what you are doing. Trim back dead, crossing, and unwanted branches. Proper pruning also encourages new growth for the spring. Perennials at this time will be wilted, and they can also be cut back to promote and encourage new growth.