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Man cleaning the sidewalk with a leaf blower

Many homeowners make the mistake of thinking they can finally stop obsessing about their lawn once the leaves start to turn. But think again. According to the experts at This Old House, letting your lawn go dormant in the fall is actually one of the worst mistakes you can make, and can lead to a disappointing showing come spring. Here are five steps you should take right now that will yield big results when backyard weather returns:

Rake.

While an array of colorful autumn leaves sprinkled across your lawn can look lovely and be great fun for the little ones, they’re doing a big disservice to your grass by blocking valuable nutrients from the sun and trapping in moisture. So rake and blow the leaves away as often as you can.

Mow.

Your grass might not be growing as fast, but it is growing, up until the first hard frost, in fact. Make sure you keep it trimmed to its ideal height of 2.5 – 3 inches, which is short enough to allow the sunlight in, but not so short that it stunts the root system.

Aerate.

Aeration—or punching holes in the soil to break it up—prevents your yard from becoming compacted and covered over with thatch: a thick layer of roots, stems and other debris that blocks water, oxygen and important nutrients from getting into the soil and nurturing your lawn’s roots. You should aerate right before you…

Fertilize.

Feeding your lawn with fertilizer after you’ve aerated will help protect the roots from freezing and provide energy for your lawn to bounce back in the spring. A soil test is always a good idea to find out what blend of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium will best serve your grass.

Seed.

Fall is also the right time to tend to bald patches in your lawn and shore up existing grass by seeding. Dense grass is the best defense against springtime weeds, and fall offers the ideal conditions for seeding, including cool nights, lots of moisture, a less intense sun and a ground that is still warm.

Reprinted with permission from RISMedia.

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