Tips for preparing lawns for a cool-down

By Jazmine Knight

As we head into fall and temperature starts to cool, homeowners can use this last stretch of bearable weather to prepare your lawn for wintertime.

Colton George, owner of C&M Grounds Care, said the best time to start is now and into October.

“Leaves start to drop and you want to make sure you mulch them up, keep your grass cut shorter,” George said. “We always want to aerate your lawn to open up and allow oxygen back into the lawn.”

He suggests using fertilizer and monitoring lawns during the fall. Not only does this improve the health of the grass, but it also helps preserve the dark green color while getting it ready for spring.

“Make sure you mow your grass shorter, get that seed down, really get it to be able to grow,” he said.

George said typically, residents face a lot of weeds and bare spots when springtime emerges. However, proper care early on can prevent residents from having the worst lawn on the block.

“We like to take care of that in the fall. the grass really gets to be able to grow and allows it to be really healthy,” he said.

“You can always cut your shrubs back, and then allow a nice thick layer of mulch, to keep moisture in for the winter time,” George said about gardening.

For those who want to avoid hiring a lawn care service, George recommends visiting a local farm store. There, people can purchase a four- or six-step program for a reasonable price.

“They can apply those by the bag. There’s directions on the bag usually to apply that type of chemical or product,” George said.