Autumn Lawn Turf Care Tips Revisited

If you’ve spent the summer watching your lawn mature into a lush green paddock then you’ll find these tips handy to ensure that your good work doesn’t go to waste as the weather turns colder.

Clear the debris

The garden rake is the most important tool for your lawn during autumn. It might be a thankless task, but keeping your garden turf clear of debris is essential to its health – particularly if it’s newly laid. Leaving the leaves on the lawn causes damage as they rot over the wet winter, releasing pathogens which can cause disease.

Don’t cut your garden lawn turf too short

If your lawnmower is on wheels then you’ll probably be able to adjust the height of the cut. For October mowing you only want to level the turf off, ensuring that the grass is still a couple of inches long. Once there’s a ground frost and the temperature dips below zero then it’s time to put the mower away until spring.

Treating and Feeding isn’t just a summer chore

There are a range of products that will help feed and treat your turf, but it’s important that you choose an autumn specific treatment to deal with the seasonal issues. Many products will feed, weed and de-mould all in one. All you have to do is spread the pellets and then rake the dead debris from the ground two weeks later. Avoiding nitrogen rich feeds is essential, as this encourages soft growth that will be at risk of frost damage.

Aerating your lawn and top dressing

If you wish to aerate your lawn then the autumn is the time to do it. Spiking the turf in a uniform manner will help drainage and make it less likely to succumb to fungus. Autumn is also the best time to top dress your lawn. You can buy a range of ready mixed products, but it’s more cost effective to create your own mix from three parts sandy loam, six parts sharp sand and one part compost. You’ll want 2kg per square metre of turf.

Carry out garden turf repairs in the autumn

If any of your garden turf has taken a beating during summer months then autumn is the time to patch it up. Whether it’s a simple reseed or full scale re-turf the grass will have time to establish itself over winter. You can buy turf from turf growers and calculate the amount of you need using our turf calculator.

Lay stepping stones to protect your lawn

Once you’ve prepared your lawn turf for the long winter laying stepping stones is the best way to protect it. Depending on the size of your lawn stepping stones aren’t too expensive and the task of laying them is one that even the most novice gardener can manage.

Simply place the stone on the turf in the desired location, cut the turf around the stone with an edging blade and remove the sod. The stone will fit perfectly in place and your lawn will be protected until it starts growing again next spring.

Following these autumn lawn care tips should help your garden be greener than ever when the weather warms up again next spring.