If you live here in Dallas, you are probably elated to finally see a little relief in temperature this past week. We are finally getting a glimpse of this season called “fall” that the rest of the country seems to be boasting about. Isn’t it fabulous?! Since us Texans do not have much experience with fall, you might not be aware that fall is actually the best time of year to begin preparing your lawn for next spring. Here are some helpful fall maintenance tips from Matthew Murrey Design that will get your lawn in great shape come spring!
1. ADJUST THE IRRIGATION
You will still need to water in fall and winter, but not as frequently. Water you lawn in the morning. You will want your lawn to receive about an inch of water every 5-10 days. If you do not cut down on your watering from your summer schedule, you are risking major damage to your lawn.
2. ADJUST MOWER HEIGHT
For warm-season grasses such as Bermuda and St. Augustine, you will want to adjust your mower height to no lower than 2-1/2 inches. According to Robert E. Kozlowski at Cornell University, the general rule of thumb is that you should mow your grass when it gets to be 3 to 3-1/2 inches tall. Never remove more than 1/3 of the lawn surface or cut it any shorter than 2 to 2-1/2 inches.
3. RAKE (OR VACUUM) THE LEAVES
Leaves left on your lawn for an extensive period of time will suffocate your lawn, allow for mold and fungus to grow and create a home for small rodents. Raking the leaves not only rids you of these problems, but it typically creates happier neighbors in the process.
As always, I highly recommend hiring a local landscape professional to handle all of your regular yard maintenance. If you have already hired a good, reputable maintenance company, all you need to do is sit back and enjoy this amazing weather!