Fall learn more

Mowing

As summer turns to fall, many homeowners expect we’ll quickly exchange our mowers for rakes. We’re not quite finished mowing, though. Grass typically grows past the first winter frost, so before that gorgeous fall foliage hits your lawn, we’ll give it a short 2½- to 3-inch “fall cut.” This just-right length isn’t high enough to cause matting, which can encourage fungi growth. At the same time, the length isn’t short enough to disrupt your lawn’s root system, which it needs healthy and intact to protect it from the cold and dry of the coming winter.

Leaf Cleanup

Every fall, mother nature thrills us with her beautiful shades of yellow, orange, and brown foliage. So beautiful, in fact, that you might be tempted to ask us to leave your lawn covered. But fall leaves are best peeped on trees, not your lawn. Left on the ground, they’ll block light and trap moisture—exactly what you don’t want come spring.

Mosquito Control

Our mosquito-management solution utilizes a kid- and pet-safe spray around the perimeter of your property, and near all the shrubs and plants that attract mosquitoes. To achieve the best results, we’ll begin with the first of four applications in late spring. We’ll then carefully time the remaining applications, the last of which occurs in early fall.

Lime Application

As part of your overall lawn assessment, we’ll test your soil’s pH level to ensure it’s within close range to an ideal 6.5. If we find that your soil is too acidic, we’ll give your lawn a lime application. Fall is an excellent time for this treatment because it takes about two months for the lime to react with your soil. By spring, your lawn will have had plenty of time to benefit. Lime raises the pH of your soil, making it less acidic and enhancing your grass’ ability to draw in nutrients and moisture.

Aerating and Overseeding

The greenest, lushest lawns you see are almost certainly aerated and overseeded in the fall, when cooling air and still-warm soil make for perfect conditions. Aeration removes thatch and loosens compacted soil, encouraging better access to nutrients, oxygen and water. The holes left behind also help fertilizer reach your grass’ roots, where it’s most efficacious. After aerating, we’ll overseed, followed by a seed starter fertilization.

Seed Starter Fertilization

Aerating and overseeding requires a seed starter fertilization to deliver the desired benefits. This process is necessary to ensure newly germinated seedlings that survive well in the cooler fall temperatures and begin to thrive once spring finally rolls around. We’ll apply a slow-release fertilizer in the 20–0–10 range to help your lawn flourish once winter breaks (the numbers indicate the fertilizer’s respective percentages of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium).

Cool-weather Fertilization

In our area, Kentucky Blue Grass, Perennial Rye, and Tall Fescue make up the grass mixtures that grow best. And even without aerating, overseeding and seed-starter fertilization, every lawn will still benefit from a late-fall cool-weather fertilization. The application will help your grass produce more chlorophyll, which produces sugar to sustain its root system through the winter with the energy it needs to protect itself from freezing.

Late-Fall Trimming and Pruning

Early fall is when decaying fungi spread the most spores, which you don’t want landing on the fresh cuts of your trees, shrubs, and bushes. So, we’ll wait until late fall after the first frost—when your plants are dormant—for a final trimming and pruning. This way, you’ll have a bounty of healthy new growth to look forward to once spring arrives.