Autumn Lawn Care

October beckons more treats than tricks when it comes to attending to your home or commercial lawn this fall.  After a brutal summer of drought and record-setting heat, October is your best last chance to make repairs before winter because the soil is warm and competitors like annual weeds are dead or dying. And that’s no trick.
As you place your pumpkin and harvest baskets of flowers out, don’t miss a golden opportunity to seize one of the best months in the year for growing healthy grass and making repairs.  Consider October a cousin to May, without the cold soil and germinating annual weeds.
Have your soil tested for low potassium.  I have been finding lawns low in potassium this year and October is a great month to apply a specialized blend of high potassium fertilizer designed to correct this deficiency.  For the benefits of potassium fertilizer read http://www.mrgrassblog.net/give-your-lawn-a-banana-potassium/
Have you limed lately?  Fall is a wonderful time to lime your lawn.  Lime will move the soil pH upward from acidic to a slightly acidic range, optimum for turf growth plus making fertilizer more available to your hungry grass.  If a calcium based lime is used, your lawn will love you even more because turf loves calcium and so does your soil.  For the benefits of lime read http://www.mrgrassblog.net/lime-in-the-key-to-any-successful-lawn-care-program/
Don’t forget about mowing height as Halloween approaches.  This is the time of year when you can begin to slowly drop your mowing height from 3” in the beginning of October down to 1.75” by the time trick or treat arrives.  Any mowing in November, or your final cut, can be razor short at 1.5” in preparation for snow. If you put your mower away too early, you risk having your lawn overwinter with an early 70’s hair cut that is much too long lending to snow mold, winter kill, vole and winter damage.  Before winter retirement, take your mower blade off and get it sharpened. You’ll be ready for spring and your lawn will thank you.