Autumn Lawn Care
Autumn is a critical time of year to get your lawn into shape. You want to give it the maintenance it needs to be able to survive the onslaught of the cold winter months ahead. Lawn care in autumn will require a healthy dose of fertilisation and watering, and to repair any damage done by a long hot summer.
Fertiliser
Feeding your lawn now will help to maintain the greenness and vibrancy of your grass. Rain may have also caused nutrients in the soil to leech where your lawn needs them most. Replacing these nutrients with fertilisation will help keep your lawn healthy going into winter and more likely to retain its colour.
Fertilise your lawn using a high-quality, granular, slow-release lawn food. Established lawns will need fertilising twice in autumn. This can be done around week 3 of March and May.
Watering your lawn in autumn
If your lawn hasn’t received adequate irrigation over summer, then it may be in desperate need of a good drink. If you live in the cooler regions of Australia, such as down here in Victoria, you can generally rely on rainfall alone with top-ups as needed to keep your lawn irrigated and help it recover.
Water lawn early in the morning for around 15 minutes, twice a week.
Mowing your lawn in autumn
As growth slows coming into the dormancy of winter, mowing frequency will also decrease.
Increase the mowing height of your lawn so that your grass stays higher and denser. This will help insulate the soil and prep it for the shorter daylight hours of winter.
Raking/Leaf removal
Getting rid of any leaves on your lawn can help sunlight penetrate the soil further, improving the health of your lawn during the cooler months.
Rake up any dead leaves or twigs when required to prevent grass die-back and to encourage sunlight and oxygen.