Written by: Tom Andrews
If you read everything in The What, When, & Why of Fertilizing, think “I can mow frequently, I can water appropriately, but I am watching my budget… and can only afford to fertilize 1-2 times a year.” Fall is the prime time for just that route or to ramp up your prior program.
Fall is your lawn’s prime time! You don’t want to go overboard, but this is when you can get back to fertilizing every 30-45 days with a more “normal” rated product. This is when I get back to those 16-4-8 or 24-0-11 or similar fertilizers. It is also best to over-seed your lawn if you choose to.
In the fall, you can also apply another dose of a pre-emergent with a different active ingredient, such as dithiopyr. You do not want to use the exact product you did in the spring, as max rates are recommended during application. This will give those pesky weeds a strong “1-2 punch,” coming at two different angles.
Note, if you are applying a pre-emergent in the fall, you do not want to over-seed. The pre-emergent creates a barrier in the soil, preventing the seeds from growing strong roots and causing them to either not grow or grow weak before dying in the off-season.
Fall Mowing Facts
Throughout the year, remember your watering and mowing will pick up in the fall. You can get back to mowing 2-3 times weekly and lower your cut height to 2.5 – 3.5 inches. I like to take my cutting height to around 2-2.5 inches for my last cut of the year.
I find my last cut in SW Ohio as late as early December. By this time, I’m mostly just cutting the tips of the blades off and cleaning up any remaining leaves that were late to fall. Also, you do not want to mow right after or before a frost. When you start seeing 3-5 days/nights of below-freezing temperatures in your 7-day forecast and noticing the rate of growth of your lawn drastically decreased, that is when I do the last tune-up of my mower for the year and pack it away in the back of my garage for the winter.
Related Articles
Winterizing Your Lawn: A Step-by-Step Guide
As the temperatures drop and the days shorten, preparing your lawn for winter is crucial [...]
Read MoreOct
Top 5 Reasons to Overseed Your Lawn in Spring
Are you dreaming of a picture-perfect lawn? One of the best ways to ensure lush, [...]
Read MoreApr
Fall for These Top Tips: Your Guide to Prepping Your Garden for Spring
Embrace the changing seasons and master fall garden clean-up! With the right approach and a [...]
Read MoreOct