Fertilizing the lawn in the fall is essential to strengthening grass roots and giving the lawn a strong start next spring.
Cedar Rapids lawns often endure heat and drought during the summer months which leaves the lawn brown and lacking nutrients by September.
With cooler temperatures and more rain expected during the fall, it’s one of the best times of year for effective lawn care and fertilizing.
Fall Lawn Care Analysis in Cedar Rapids
If you don’t already have a regular lawn care program in place, you should have your lawn inspected and analyzed for the best possible results before a fertilization treatment.
It may be beneficial for your lawn to be aerated before fertilizer is applied. Lawn aeration will loosen compacted soil and allow water, air, and nutrients to reach grass roots easier and more effectively.
Also, as temperatures get cooler, weeds may start emerging from you lawn again. Therefore, a weed control application may be beneficial as well.
When is the Best Time to Fertilize
Fall is perhaps the single most important time of year to fertilize your Cedar Rapids lawn. If you only do it once a year, it should be in the fall.
As part of our regular lawn fertilization program, we fertilize two times in the fall.
An early fall treatment helps the lawn rebound from summer stress. Proper fertilization facilitates recovery from drought and heat. Also, we recommend treating weeds as necessary. This is also the time we would recommend fall aeration and to seed any bare areas.
The second fertilization treatment happens in late fall. This application is important for root growth. Grass roots also store these nutrients which are beneficial for survival during the winter months.
Additional Cedar Rapids Fall Lawn Care Best Practices
Fertilizing your lawn is an investment in your home’s curb appeal. In order to protect your investment, there are a few other best practices that will make your lawn fertilization most effective.
Leaf Cleanup. Heavy leaf cover on the grass can smother the lawn. Wet leaves can also invite disease and more troubles to your lawn. Therefore, leaves should be removed as soon as possible. Many cities offer free leaf pick-up during the fall. Find out more about Leaf Collection in Cedar Rapids.
Lawn Mowing. As long as the grass is growing, you should continue mowing it as normal. For the last few mows of the season, you should cut the grass shorter to reduce the amount of grass that will turn brown and become compacted with snow during the winter.
Overseeding. If your lawn has barren or thinning areas, you will want to overseed in these areas to thicken the lawn. Consider aeration before overseeding to give the soil optimal conditions for growing new grass.
As always, we’re here to help Cedar Rapids and the surrounding areas with your fall lawn care needs. Give us a call at (319) 310-1553 for a Free Estimate or fill out our online form and we will get back with you as soon as possible.
