Lawn Care in Autumn for Winter Preservation

As winter approaches, autumn lawn care becomes singularly important as soon as the leaves begin to fall. Shorter days with less light come in stark contrast to the light filled summer months. It also means that the temperature will start to get cooler as the yearly cycle of regeneration begins once again with end of one cycle and the beginning of another the following spring.

For lawn owners, lawn care is an extremely important part of giving all growing things the best chance of surviving the cold hard frosts and shorter, darker days of the winter. A small lawn care jobs list will ensure that lawns will survive these tougher circumstances.

Clearing leaves and fallen branches or twigs is one of the most useful things that can be done. Windy conditions may increase throughout the autumn and this can lead to an increase tree debris. If they are not removed then it’s highly likely that damp, un-aerated patches will form below the fallen matter, which can do damage to a lawn.

The second thing a gardener responsible for lawn care should try to achieve is to make sure that the lawn has been raked (or scarified) using a lawn rake specifically designed for the purpose. During the summer, mowing the lawn can often leave a layer of ‘thatch’ on the soil surface from the grass that has been cut. Unfortunately, thatch is not very good for garden lawns and can leave them unable to handle large amounts of rain properly. It can also mean that the grass plant is prevented from spreading and developing.

Lawn care can also be a useful drainage aid. Heavy footfall and use by children playing can cause compaction in a lawn. This form of lawn care is often called aeration and is usually achieved by the process of spiking. Using a garden fork, holes can be driven into the lawn during the autumn which can help increase its ability to drain water and get more air. Whilst it may seem like damage is being done to a lawn by doing this, lawn care involving spiking is highly efficient and recommended by all lawn care experts.