It’s been a great summer to get out of the house and spend time with family and friends. Whether you’ve had barbecues, played lawn games, or simply enjoyed the natural beauty of your lawn from afar, your lawn deserves great care to stay healthy year-round. It’s important to prepare seeded grass lawns and established sod for the cooler weather coming. Shrubs, trees, and flower beds also need a bit of love before the season changes. A few end-of-summer lawn and yard care tips:

Pre-Autumn Lawn Prep

 

  • Mowing – Encourage healthy root growth for the fall by raising your lawnmower blade height to 3” or higher above the ground. Cut back grass patches that are too close to your home exterior to prevent insect migration with colder weather.
  • Reseed – If your late August or early September lawn is dry or beginning to brown, you may want to oversee the entire lawn.  Reseed or replace with sod over bare spots if the rest looks good. Be sure to test the soil for balance, if necessary. Mow your grass and rake bare soil before seeding with a broadcast spreader or laying sod. Water immediately per instructions.
  • Fertilize – Also referred to as “winterizing,” applying the correct fertilizer before cold weather helps your lawn recover from summer drought while promoting proper root growth and winter hardiness. 
  • Weed control – Pull large weeds and be sure that your fertilizer mixture addresses current or future weed growth.
  • Rake – The timing, frequency, and level of raking necessary will depend on the timing of your other fall lawn maintenance, especially if you’ve seeded or laid sod. Don’t allow dead leaves to accumulate on your lawn.

Pre-Autumn Landscaping Prep

 

  • Prune – Prune shrubs and tree branches that hang too close to your house structure.
  • Trees – Cut down unstable or dead trees. 
  • Dead leaves and debris – Remove dead plants, branches, and leaves from flower beds and gutters. 
  • Infested plants – Avoid allowing plant infestation to over-winter and spread by removing the diseased plant entirely from the bed. 
  • Straw or mulch – Cover tender tubers or plants before frost with mulch or straw after weeding and removing debris.

 

It’s important to ready your yard and lawn for cold weather, especially in Minnesota, where winters can be brutal. Wagner Sod works with your landscaping needs and performs professional high-quality sod installation and lawn maintenance, including seasonal lawn and yard prep. Call for your consultation with one of our lawn and yard care pros.