Fall is fast approaching, which means cooler temperatures and beautiful colors!
In many parts of the country, lawn care is just as important throughout the autumn season as it is any other time of year.
While you may not have to use as much water to keep your lawn looking plush during the fall, there are still a few things you can do this season to conserve water while keeping your yard looking pristine and green.
Water Less Often and at the Right Times
Unless you live in an extremely hot area that doesn’t get a lot of rain, you can usually get by on watering your lawn less-frequently in the fall. But, it’s still important to water it at the right time. This will ensure that the water permeates the soil and you get the most out of each watering session.
A good rule of thumb is to water twice a week. Try to water as early in the morning as possible. If you have an irrigation or sprinkler system that can be set on a timer, setting it sometime between 4am-5am is ideal. If you’re watering by hand, just try to get it done first thing in the morning.
Know When to Stop Watering
If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow each winter, you’ll want to make sure not to water after a deep freeze. For most people, this means stopping sometime in October or November. Pay attention to the weather and how cold/solid the ground gets. You don’t want to waste water by pooling it on ground that has already frozen!
Sharpen Your Mower Blades
After a long summer of mowing the grass, autumn is the perfect time to remove your mower blades and make sure they’re sharp. What does this have to do with saving water?
When your lawnmower blades start to get dull, they leave a serrated edge on each blade of grass instead of a smooth one. As a result, it often causes browning on the top of the grass. It can even lead to lawn diseases. When people start to see their grass turn brown, they tend to think it’s just dry. So, they overcompensate by watering more than usual. Unfortunately, that only makes matters worse. Not only is it easy to over-water your lawn and “drown” it, but you’re also wasting a lot of water that doesn’t need to be used!
Rake Your Leaves
The brightly-colored leaves that fall from the trees are beautiful to look at, but don’t let them rest on your lawn for too long! Leaves block moisture from penetrating the lawn, which can leave it looking ‘dead’ and brown. Again, this might cause you to overcompensate by watering more. Instead of wasting water, rake up leaves as often as possible so they don’t get a chance to block your lawn from key nutrients and moisture.
As you can see, conserving water while taking care of your lawn in the fall is fairly simple! By keeping a few of these tips in mind, your lawn will look great through the season, and you can feel good about reducing your environmental impact.