Can you feel it? Change is in the air. Along with a new school year, a spike in pumpkin spiced everything, and earlier sunsets comes a welcome chill in the air. Fall is upon us, and with it a host of new lawn health risks if you’re not vigilant about lawn maintenance. If you have experts maintaining your lawn it’s a good idea to know what to look for during the Fall to make sure they are doing the best upkeep.
What to look for from your lawn maintenance crew
They should aerate and fertilize your lawn:
Most of the grass in San Antonio is St. Augustine grass, which grows well during the warm seasons. The best time to aerate warm-season grass is before and after the scorching summer. After the Summer, most lawns are dried up from the hot weather and need a little TLC as the weather starts to cool down. Aerating and then fertilizing the soil during the Fall will help your soil’s foundation have the best and most even mix of air, water, and nutrients during this growing season.
Make sure they adjust your irrigation levels:
As the season changes from Summer to Fall a maintenance crew should start to adjust the lawn’s irrigation levels. During the summer your lawn needs frequent watering. However, as Fall comes around, sometimes the cold air sets in before you’ve had a chance to take your lawn off its summer watering schedule. This can lead to dampness without the sun to burn the excess moisture, causing root rot.
Trim your shrubs:
Common shrubs like crape myrtles really grow the extra mile as temperatures cool. Make sure the crew starts to trim them regularly to prevent overgrowth throughout the Fall.
Take action against ants and weeds:
Ant colonies and weeds tend to spring up more frequently as the weather becomes more favorable – and in San Antonio, that means in the Springtime and the Fall. Make sure your lawn maintenance crew uses a preventative measure to keep your lawn weed and ant free. If you see ant piles in between maintenance sessions you can pour vinegar or sprinkle baking soda around the piles to prevent them from spreading. To take care of weeds, you can pour boiling water on them to stop growth. Let your crew know about the problem areas so they can take care of it.
Rake the leaves:
It’s called Fall for a reason, and while the foliage littering your yard may be pretty, it can also damage the green grass you’ve worked so hard on. As leaves pile up, healthy grass is smothered and may not grow as well come Spring. Layers of unkept, damp leaves can also promote mold, fungus or other grass diseases. Make sure the experts rake, mulch, and lay down leaves selectively to prevent disease and prompt healthy lawn growth.
If you aren’t sure if your lawn maintenance team is adjusting their game plan to help your lawn grow, speak with them about your concerns. Not enough time to do it all yourself? Contact us and we can help you maintain your lawn this Fall.
