Prepping Cool Season Grasses For Autumn

Did you know that autumn is the most important lawn care season of the year here in Burlington? This is because Burlington lawns are made up of cool grass varieties. Bent grasses, Kentucky bluegrass, and fine fescue turf types tend to go through a vigorous growth spurt right around now. As such, it’s important to provide your lawn with a little extra TLC come September. From fertilizing to Burlington lawn irrigation treatments, here’s what cool season grasses are craving right now.

Late Summer and Early Fall Treatments
Cool season grasses hit their second wind come September, entering a period of extended growth. Help your lawn recover from summer dryness by scheduling the following Burlington lawn irrigation and maintenance treatments:

• Aerate Before It’s Too Late

Aeration is an important part of any autumn lawn care regiment. This is especially true for cool season lawns thirsting for more nutrients. Aerate in the early fall to open pathways for air, water, and nutrients to enter your soil. Just don’t wait too long – aerating can cause your lawn quite a bit of stress; the sooner you do it, the longer your lawn will have to recover from the shock and regenerate growth.

• Don’t Forget to Dethatch
  Dethatching should definitely be the second step in your fall lawn care regiment. Like soil compaction, thatch can suffocate your lawn, keeping vital nutrients and moisture from nourishing the roots of your turf. What’s worse, thatch can also harbour deadly lawn diseases all winter long. Dethatch mid-autumn to keep your lawn clear of debris.
• Seeding Sophistication
  Cool season grasses often sustain quite a bit of damage during hot, humid summers. This often manifests itself in the form of bald and browning spots. Help fill these areas in with an overseeding treatment in early autumn. Just make sure to apply the seed following your core aeration treatment, not before. This will ensure that the seeds have a better chance of germinating. Follow up the seeding treatment with a nitrogen-rich fertilizer treatment and plenty of water from your Burlington lawn irrigation system.

Before the First Frost
While the above treatments are designed to help your grass grow, the following lawn maintenance suggestions will help your lawn power down and go dormant for the winter.

• Raking Up is Hard to Do
  Your cool season grass needs plenty of light to grow properly during the fall. As such, it’s important that you keep leaves up and off your lawn. Rake regularly to remove leaves and let the sun shine through.
• Irrigate to Be Great
  Cool season grasses need plenty of water prior to the first frost of the season. Keep your turf well hydrated with a Burlington lawn sprinkler system. Water deeply, two or three times a week in order to provide your lawn with at least one inch of water every seven days.
• Make the Most of Your Last Mow
  Set your lawn mower blade slightly lower than normal when cutting your grass for the last time this fall. This will help ensure that no excess moisture is held in the roots, a situation which can often lead to the formation of snow mould.
• Flush Your Burlington Lawn Irrigation System
  This is an important final step in any lawn care maintenance plan. Forgetting to drain your Burlington lawn irrigation system could cause the pipes to crack and burst over the winter, resulting in costly repairs next spring.

Keep your cool season grasses strong, health, and happy this autumn. Contact the Burlington lawn irrigation experts at Nutri-Lawn today to book your fall lawn maintenance services.