All lawns run into some problems. Whether you have weeds, dead spots, or just thin grass, repairing your property takes some time and effort.
Chances are you want your work to be practical, though, so that leads many people to ask, what is the best time to repair lawns?
The most straightforward answer is that early fall is best. This season provides the lawn the opportunity to take advantage of colder weather before the colder winter months start. So why is this the best time?
There are a few reasons to consider.
Spring and Summer Lawn Repair
While you can do lawn work during these months, this is not the optimal time. Spring is probably going to be too late for many lawn care problems.
When winter ends, and the grass starts to grow, putting down seeds and any new growth will have competition from weeds that are taking advantage of warm weather. In northern areas of the country, spring doesn’t give the grass enough time to be established before the summer heat starts to turn it brown.
Summer, in general, is not best. Hot and humid temperatures can cause stunted growth even with plenty of watering. Fall weather doesn’t have these disadvantages, so early fall when the weather just starts to turn a little colder is optimal.
Lawn Repairs in the Fall
When it comes to fall weather, there are a few tasks that you’ll want to add to your to-do list. Good soil composition can take some work.
Consider adding compost or other organic materials to enrich the topsoil with the nutrients that your lawn needs to thrive. You can also aerate the soil.
A professional service will pull cores out of the soil to allow oxygen and water to reach deeper. You can do this on your own with simple aeration spikes that attach to shoes or similar devices.
New grass growth is also a priority in the fall. You may want to add sod to the lawn for large areas, plugs for smaller spaces, or just grass seed.
The sod will be your best option for larger areas, but this is not usually the best when you only need scattered improvement. Plugs can be good if you start to notice some dry spots. Seeds are easy to spread on the lawn and will begin to grow in the fall and establish roots before the winter weather sets in.
Give Plenty of Time
Remember that these tasks should be done in early fall and not later in the year.
If you want too late, the grass won’t have time to grow and repair itself before the weather starts to turn cold. You can also decrease mowing in the fall and let the grass grow a little longer. This much-needed breather allows grass to maintain its health throughout the winter.
Use these tips to ensure that your lawn is healthy when spring rolls around, leaving you with more time to enjoy it.