Every spring, homeowners hope to unveil a lawn that appears thick, healthy and green. One of the most effective ways to achieve this—and also one that tends to fly under the radar—is through proper fall lawn care.

Think of fall as the last opportunity to prepare your outdoor space for the winter months ahead. Before your lawn goes dormant, it needs to absorb oxygen and nutrients to survive the colder months and wake up feeling refreshed in the springtime.

So what are the best things you can do for your Ohio lawn in the fall? We’ve put together a helpful list that will steer you in the right direction.

Fall Lawn Care in Ohio: 4 Tips to Prepare

Apply Root-Building Fertilizer

Between backyard barbeques and children playing outside, lawns see plenty of activity in the summertime. When this foot traffic is combined with high heats and typical summer droughts, grass may become weak and discolored, while nuisances like weeds and crabgrass can appear.

After a tough summer, a root-building fertilizer is just what lawns need to restore their strength. While repairing the health of your lawn, these fertilizers also prepare your turf for the winter by stimulating roots. This is especially important as the roots of plants can still be very active even after the first signs of frost.

Clean Up Debris and Leaves

The beautiful colors of the fall season are one its most admired elements. Yet, as the leaves begin to change and fall—along with other debris like branches and bark—many of them tend to settle in thick layers on lawns. In addition to inhibiting grass growth, this can contribute to a buildup of mold and fungus as well as encourage destructive activity from spring pests.

That’s why removing debris and leaves is an important part of fall lawn care. Not only will your lawn look better and stay healthier, but it will also be safer since rain-slicked leaves will no longer create the hazards of slips and falls.

When it comes to the approach, the quickest route is to use a leaf blower. A leaf rake is another option, with the recommendation of using this tool during a dry stretch of weather as wet leaves are much heavier than dry leaves.

Tackle Lawn Rust

While diseases are always a concern for lawns, certain weather conditions are recognized for enabling disease development. With its combination of warm days and cool evenings, fall creates a breeding ground for such issues.

Take lawn rust, for instance. This disease is characterized by small, yellow spots on grass blades, with the entire grass blade eventually turning white—and it’s most likely to target lawns that are under stress or low on nitrogen.

One of the most useful remedies for these and other diseases is a fungicide. These fact-acting solutions are designed to help eliminate fungal spores in lawns and prevent them from spreading to other areas. For the best results, opt for a solution that covers a wide range of lawn disease problems.

Keep Lawn a Healthy Length

When the weather remains warm enough, grass will continue to sprout. That means the growth period could last anywhere from late October to early December, or until temperatures reach below 50℉ during the daytime.

So as you plan out your fall lawn care routine, you’ll want to make regular lawn cuts part of the drill. During the growing season, it’s recommended to mow your lawn at least once a week to keep it in healthy condition.

Aside from the mowing schedule, the height at which to mow is also a key consideration. That’s because grass that is too long will be vulnerable to snow mold, while grass that is cut too short will impede the lawn’s ability to ward off the winter cold. To avoid these scenarios, maintain your lawn at the optimal length: 3 ½ inches.

Fall Lawn Care that Makes a Difference

Want a lawn that wakes up healthy in spring? It all begins with the proper fall lawn care. Use these tips as the foundation for a successful lawn care maintenance routine that will preserve the beauty and safety of your outdoor space year-round.

Looking for professional help in your fall lawn care? The team at Weed Pro offers a variety of services to meet customers’ needs. Contact us today to learn more.