Before long, October and November will arrive and usher in some of the cooler weather of Fall. If you live within Lakeland Highlands, Medulla, Eaton Park, and surrounding communities in the South Lakeland, Florida area you will start to notice a slow down in your lawn’s rate of growth.
This will cause a change in your lawn care needs. Also, there’s a window of opportunity for some fall lawn care tasks to be performed before your grass goes dormant for the winter.
Before going any further it should be explained that, for the purposes of this article, the term “lawn care” will be used holistically. We won’t use the term to refer to things such as fertilization, weed control, and pest control.
In this article, we will talk about fall lawn care and lawn maintenance tasks that will fortify your grass before and during dormancy. The result will be a lush and green lawn in the next growing season.
Changes in Your Lawn Mowing Routine For Fall
During the growing season, which is typically from March or April until October for areas in Florida like Lakeland Highlands, Medulla, and Eaton Park mowing should take place weekly. However, when your grass slows its growth down starting around late October or early November, your mowing schedule should change to bi-weekly.
By switching to a bi-weekly routine, you will avoid any undue stress to your lawn from mowing sessions that aren’t needed. That said, from a lawn care perspective, it is important to maintain your lawn at the optimum height for the species of grass you have. This will keep it healthy and help with crowding out weeds.
How Fall Affects Your Lawn’s Irrigation Needs
If you live around the Medulla, Eaton Park, Lakeland Highlands, or other sections of South Lakeland you may have realized how there is less rain in the fall than there is during the late spring and summer months.
This of course means that you need to adjust your irrigation to suit the needs of your lawn for the fall. Generally speaking, you will need to water your lawn more frequently. A good indication within lawn care circles that your grass needs water is to look at the color of it.
By paying attention to the color of your lawn, you can tell if it needs water. If you notice that it is changing into different shades of green, then it’s an indication that irrigation is needed. However, if your lawn stays a more consistent green and looks healthy, it is not in immediate need of watering.
One other thing to keep in mind is that the timing of your irrigation may also need to change. During winter, there is a short period of time in Central Florida when the temperature might dip down to the mid to low 30s Fahrenheit at night.
If you water your lawn in the evening or early morning you could cause harm to it. During this period it is best to water your lawn during the mid-day when temperatures are at their warmest.
Preventing A Winter Invasion of Weeds
There are a number of species of weed that can invade your lawn during the winter. These include:
- Annual Bluegrass
- Chickweed
- Wild Geranium
- Henbit
- Lawn Burweed
Fall is the perfect time to apply pre emergent herbicide to prevent these weeds from establishing themselves in your lawn. Since the grass of your turf is dormant and not actively growing, it is the ideal time for weeds to take over. This is because there is less competition for sunlight, water, and nutrients.
Timing is a crucial element when applying a pre emergent herbicide. You must have an application done right before the weed seeds germinate. If you can see the seedlings, it is already too late to use the herbicide.
Lawn Pests to Look Out For During Fall & Winter Months
The fall can be an active time for a number of lawn pests throughout the Medulla, Lakeland Highlands, and Eaton Park, region of South Lakeland, Florida. There are three or four in particular that can be active…
- Army Worms
- Web Worms
- Chinch Bugs
- Adult Mole Crickets
If the ground has remained moist for a prolonged period during the fall, fire ants may be active as well.
Keep these pests from having your fall lawn care head south in a hurry. The best signs of harmful activity include:
- Your lawn appears to have been mowed, even though it hasn’t been – Army Worms & Web Worms
- Yellow or brown, circular patches in your lawn in the sunny parts of your lawn – Chinch Bugs
- Overly soft, or spongy areas in your lawn when you walk on them due to tunneling – Mole Crickets
Call Us To Maintain Your Yard as Part of Your Fall Lawn Care Regiment
Lawn care traditionally has referred to just weed control and fertilization services. However, your weed control and fertilization regiment is only one aspect of growing a thick, green lawn.
If you are ready to take your fall lawn care efforts up a notch, give our team a call at (863) 880-1355 . We would be happy to consult with you or provide an estimate.
We service all of Lakeland including the South Lakeland communities of Lakeland Highlands, Medulla, and Eaton Park, Florida.