Summer is ending which means it is time to start thinking about preparing your lawn and garden for autumn weather! Below are tips we’ve put together for keeping a lush, green lawn and beautiful garden as you get ready for the cooler weather ahead.
Aerate and Overseed Your Lawn
During the summer, your grass begins to lose vitamins and minerals because the soil has become dry under the hot sun. Aeration during the autumn months allows oxygen and nutrients to re-enter the soil which helps grass grow a stronger root base. You should also overseed your lawn after aeration. Certain grasses that stay green year-round like tall fescue don’t regenerate. That means that you need to plant new grass each year to ensure your lawn stays lush and healthy. Overseeding will also fix any bare spots in your lawn.
Consider Planting Perennials
Perennials are always a great choice for fall planting as they offer beauty year after year, unlike annuals that suffer with the cold of winter. We suggest planting native asters, such as the blue wood aster or the New England aster in the autumn so they have a chance to establish their root system. If you want to help monarch butterflies (and other pollinators) while aiding the local ecosystem, you’ll want to plant some natives. Native plants that have grown in Virginia and North Carolina for centuries and are well-suited to the natural climate and conditions without the need for extra watering. We suggest milkweed!
Mulch and Compost
As you plant your autumn garden, make sure that you are adding compost and mulch to your flower beds. The compost will provide your new plantings with the nutrients that they need to thrive during the winter months while the mulch will provide much needed water and stop weed growth. The autumn is also a good time to prepare compost for the spring. Rather than discarding organic materials, consider purchasing a compost tumbler that you can add to over the winter months. That way you will have nutrient-rich compost for spring.
As you prepare your flower beds, consider drainage. Plants need water but you don’t want them sitting in standing water. Add trenches and smooth slopes to help drain standing water.
Ongoing Maintenance
As we move through the autumn months, leaves will begin falling off the trees. Be sure to rake and remove all leaves from your lawn at least once a week. Letting leaves stay on newly planted grass deprives it of the sunlight it needs to grow and take root. Do not use a lawn mower or leaf blower to remove leaves because that could displace seeds and new growth which hasn’t had the opportunity to build a strong root base yet. You should also stay on top of weeding your flower beds. Weeds will begin to die off as the weather gets cooler, but they will continue to grow through early November.
At HHHunt, we believe it’s how you live that matters and providing our homeowners with useful tips so they can make the best of their new home is just one more way we are improving the world and how people live. Have additional tips? Be sure to leave them in the comments section on our social media pages!
