It's during these fall days when we enjoy the beauty of our Ohio trees becoming a pallet of fall reds, oranges and browns. With that beauty also comes a lot of leaves on lawns across the Cleveland and Columbus area. With all those leaves on the lawn, will fertilizer even reach my lawn? 

Keep Fertilizing, Even With Leaves

Keeping a regular fertilizer program schedule is essential to the long-term health of your lawn. Even with leaves covering the ground, as long as you can see grass blades, you should still fertilize your lawn. Fertilizer granules often land on the leaves, however with rain and wind, they soon fall into your soil. This is why Weed Pro prefers granular fertilizer over liquid, ensuring that your lawn will receive the proper nutrients even if there are some leaves on the ground.

Why Fall Fertilizers are Essential

Fall fertilizers are very important to the overall health of your lawn, and should not be skipped at all costs. The fertilizer application we provide our customers with in late September and early October allows for rapid root re-growth and re-establishment of your turf after a harsh summer. The fertilizer application we apply in early to mid November gives your roots the ability to store carbohydrates in the turf plants cell walls, helping it withstand the harsh winter, and providing food for an early spring green-up.

Matted Leaves Not Only Effect Fertilizer

The only time Weed Pro recommends that we hold off fertilizing is when the leaves are so matted, no grass blades are showing. If this is the case in your lawn, you'll want to remove the leaf cover to allow for oxygen to reach your turf. If allowed to remain over your lawn, this leaf cover can choke out your turf, and lead to snow mold problems over winter. After removal, a normal fertilizer application can be applied.

Other Great Fall Lawn Care Tips

With so many things to remember to do in the fall, don't you wish there was some sort of Fall tip sheet or guide to help? Well, there is and it's yours absolutely FREE just by clicking on the button below! In this guide you'll learn everything you need to do to get your lawn back on track and primed for a great spring! Get your guide by simply clicking on the button below!

  Shaun Kanary has been a part of the Green Industry for the past 15 years. As the Director of Marketing for Weed Pro Lawn Care, a Cleveland and Columbus Lawn Care Service Provider, Shaun is a regular contributor to the Weed Pro Blog, and other industry magazine and blogs. 

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