Lawn care in autumn: How to make your lawn winter-proof
If you want to enjoy a healthy, green lawn all year round, you need to take good care of it. This applies not only in spring and summer, but also in autumn. At this time of year, care is particularly important because you need to prepare your lawn for winter and the impending frost.
In this article on lawn care in autumn, we summarize for you how you can ideally prepare your lawn for winter. You will learn how you should mow your lawn and what you should bear in mind when scarifying. We also give you valuable tips on watering, fertilizing and reseeding.
That's why in this article we'll show you how to care for your lawn in summer and protect it from the sun. We'll explain what's important when it comes to watering and what other care is important. We'll also give you valuable tips for mowing and fertilizing.
Mowing the lawn in autumn:
Do not mow your lawn shorter than 4-5 cm and be sure to use sharp lawn mower blades when mowing.
Learn more
Scarify properly in autumn:
You can scarify your lawn until the end of September to remove moss and weeds.
Learn more
Irrigation in autumn:
Check the moisture of the soil and adjust the amount of water accordingly – too much watering can encourage disease and moss.
Learn more
Don’t forget to fertilize in autumn:
Use a special autumn fertilizer and provide your lawn with the best possible care.
Learn more
Mowing the lawn in autumn: What you should consider
Mowing is an important aspect of lawn care in autumn. There are a few things you should keep in mind and avoid numerous pitfalls. First of all, you should not mow your lawn shorter than 4 cm. In shady areas, we even recommend leaving the lawn at a height of 5 cm. As soon as the temperature drops below 10 °C, the lawn should be more than 5 cm long. At temperatures above 9 °C, the lawn stops growing and cannot then build up sufficient protection for the winter.
Another important point is the use of sharp and high-quality lawn mower blades . The sharper the blade, the cleaner the blades are cut. This prevents the fibers from tearing and discoloring and also ensures an even turf. Take a look around our shop.
Can I scarify in the fall?
You can scarify your lawn to remove thatch until the end of September. However, the ideal time to scarify your lawn is spring.
Therefore, you should only scarify if your lawn is matted or covered in moss. The scarifier should work flat on the ground so that the soil is not disturbed. Remember that your lawn needs several weeks to recover from scarification. If it freezes shortly afterwards, this regeneration could be disrupted.
After scarifying, it is important to treat the lawn with organic lawn fertilizer to strengthen the remaining lawn plants. Further down in this article you will find detailed information on fertilizing in the fall.
Pay attention to animals in your garden when scarifying
When caring for your lawn in the fall, and especially when scarifying, pay attention to your animal roommates. Hedgehogs often hide in leaves, under hedges and bushes. Therefore, remove the leaves from your lawn before you start scarifying. If there are large piles of leaves away from the lawn, then feel free to leave them there: they provide a wonderful hiding place for the hedgehogs in your garden.
Watering the lawn in autumn
To ensure that your grass still looks good in autumn, you need to water it from time to time. One thing is particularly important: the amount of water should be adjusted to the moisture content of the soil and the current weather. If you watered your lawn heavily over the summer, you shouldn't just carry on doing so in autumn.
You have to find the right balance between too little and too much. Rain roots grow a maximum of 15 cm deep into the soil. Ideally, your watering will seep down to this depth. Exactly how much water you need to pour depends on the soil conditions and the volume of rainfall over the last few weeks.
As a rule, it is 10 to 15 liters per square meter if you have sandy soil. Clayey and heavy soils need around 15 to 20 liters per square meter. In autumn, you should add this amount to your lawn about once a week. It is better to water your lawn less often, but more intensively.
Fertilizing in autumn: This is how you should apply your autumn fertilizer
October is a good time to feed your lawn with a special fall fertilizer. This fertilizer contains important nutrients that your lawn needs for the winter months. These nutrients promote root growth and resistance to cold and stress.
If you want to fertilize your lawn properly, our instructions will help you:
Choose a fall fertilizer:
Fertilization in the fall should be done with a special fall fertilizer. This contains little nitrogen but a lot of potassium. This will strengthen your lawn for the winter.
Choose the right time:
It is best to fertilize your lawn on a dry and cloudy day. If the grass is wet, the fertilizer will quickly stick to the blades of grass and not penetrate the soil. Strong sunlight, on the other hand, could burn the fertilizer.
Apply the fertilizer:
Check the dosage on your autumn fertilizer and apply the recommended amount. It is best to do this evenly. If you have large lawns, a spreader can be a great help.
Water your lawn:
If you have fertilized your lawn, you should water it immediately afterwards. This allows the fertilizer to penetrate into the soil and release its nutrients.
If you follow these tips for lawn care in autumn, you will prepare your lawn as best as possible for the upcoming winter. Choosing the right fertilizer is crucial. We offer you our premium lawn fertilizer for autumn , which provides it with enough strength for the winter.
Remove snow mold, weeds and moss before winter
Before winter, you should check the grass in your lawn carefully. Do you notice a lot of weeds growing between the grass? Before winter sets in, you should get the weeds under control. Remove them by hand or use a selective herbicide if necessary. The sooner you control the weeds, the easier it will be to get a uniform lawn again.
At the same time, you should also check your lawn for diseases and pests. Common lawn diseases include snow mold, red thread, and slime mold. Wood fungus and moles can also attack your lawn. Therefore, check it thoroughly and combat any lawn diseases or pests as soon as possible.
Reseeding the lawn in autumn: What you should pay attention to
In autumn, another important task awaits you: you should check your garden for bare patches in the lawn. The grass may have been damaged over the summer and some roots may have died. This leads to unsightly gaps in the lawn that you can fix before winter.
We will show you the best way to proceed with your reseeding in autumn in our simple instructions:
Prepare the soil:
Before you can sow new grass, you should clear the affected areas of moss and weeds. Also remove dead grass and then loosen the soil with a rake.
Spread the grass seeds:
It is best to spread your lawn seeds on a windless and dry day. Take the right amount and sow the bare spots by hand. You can find the right seeds at RasenExpert.
Attach the seeds:
To prevent your grass seeds from evaporating, you should tamp them down after sowing. You can do this simply with your shoes by carefully stepping on the grass seeds a few times.
Water the lawn:
Once the grass seeds have been spread and planted, you should water the area generously. The seeds need enough water to germinate and then grow. Make sure to keep the seeds moist in the coming weeks.
After reseeding, you have to be patient. It can take a few weeks for the grass seeds to start germinating. It can take some time for the bare patches to grow over completely. It is therefore important that reseeding is not done too late. Young blades of grass are not frost-resistant and could be damaged. Therefore, fill in bare patches as early as possible in the autumn.
What will help you is high-quality seed. At RasenExpert you will find a wide selection of lawn seeds for a wide range of requirements. Take a look at our range and find the right seeds for your garden.
Frequently asked questions about lawn care in autumn
After the last mowing in autumn, you should definitely not leave the clippings on the lawn. Mulching is ideal in spring and summer, but not before winter. If the clippings are left on your lawn, it can rot and diseases can spread. We therefore recommend that you dispose of the clippings or compost them.
Yes, if there are leaves on your lawn in the fall, you should definitely remove them. A lack of light and oxygen can cause brown spots to form on your lawn. In the worst case, some spots may even start to rot. So take a rake in the fall and regularly remove leaves from your lawn.
When your lawn goes into hibernation depends on the temperatures. If these fall in autumn, you should slowly start preparing. At around 9 °C your lawn stops growing and goes into hibernation. By this time you should have already cut it and prepared it for winter.
In spring, lawn care begins in most years between mid-March and mid-April. Temperatures are also a decisive factor. If the winter is relatively mild, your lawn can start growing as early as March and you should start caring for your lawn. To do this, observe your lawn closely.
Conclusion: Many tasks await you in autumn
Lawn care is very important in the fall. Mowing, fertilizing and pest control ensure that your lawn is as well prepared as possible for the coming winter and frost. If you invest a lot of time in care now, you will benefit from it in the spring.
You can find the right products for this at RasenExpert. We offer you fertilizer, lawn seeds and much more. With our high-quality lawn care products, you will certainly be able to take the best possible care of your lawn in the autumn.