fall lawn care Archive

It may sound too good to be true, but we promise it’s the real deal. Keep reading to learn how you can make the best fall lawn fertilizer right from your home.

If you’re like us, you love looking after your lawn. And with fall here, there’s nothing more satisfying than kicking off your shoes and running your toes through the soft, lush blades of grass. And, while you may think that fall means it’s time to stop caring for your lawn, you couldn’t be more wrong. But don’t go out to your local hardware store and spend tons of money on ineffective fertilizers!

You can simply make your own at home for the low price of, well, free.

Understanding Your Lawn

Just like people, certain types of grass require certain types of nutrition. If you have no clue what soil you’re working with, consult your zoning board. Chances are they have documentation that can help you along.

Now, you can’t use fall lawn fertilizer the same way you do in summer or spring. You’ll need to fertilize your lawn 6 to 8 weeks before the coldest months. This will likely vary by climate, so keep an eye on the forecast.

Use Household Goods

Here’s the good news: You can make an effective fall lawn fertilizer with things you likely have at home! Here are some of the most effective resources and recipes you can use for your fertilizer.

Coffee Grounds

Ahh, coffee. It wakes us up in the morning, keeps us focused, and grows grass? It may sound odd, but believe us, coffee grounds actually make for great fertilizer. So, next time you’re getting ready to throw out your old grounds, save them instead.

Use 1/2 pound as the foundation for a compost with grass clippings and add 5 gallons of water. Now, place the compost in a bucket and spread across your lawn evenly and gently. The water should break up the grounds. Make sure the grounds fall in between the grass, not on top.

Best of all, the coffee acts as a deterrent to pests! No more worrying about slugs, snails, and pesky insects.

Soda and Beer

Here’s a combo you’d never want to taste. While it may sound repulsive to your palate, your lawn will love it. A couple caveats: Make sure you’re using full-calorie cola and a darker beer. The chemical make-up will affect your grass otherwise.

Take 1 can/bottle of each, then combine them with half a cup each of ammonia, dishwasher soap, and mouthwash. The suds from the soda and beer will deliver nutrients while the ammonia produces nitrogen. Combine all into a spray bottle or hose and rinse your lawn.

Epsom Salt and Ammonia

Finally, you can use a simple combination of Epsom salt and household ammonia. Epsom salt brings nutrients like as magnesium and sulfur, while the ammonia will dilute the salt and introduce nitrogen.

Use about a cup of each and spread evenly over your lawn.

Need Some Help With Your Fall Lawn Fertilizer?

Using these recipes should get you results in a few weeks. Be sure to keep checking on your grass periodically and record your findings. You may have to vary the recipes slightly depending on your climate and soil types.

Of course, if you’re looking for some help, don’t be afraid to get in touch! Whether you’re inexperienced or simply don’t have the time, we can help.

We’d love to give you a hand in making your lawn greener and more gorgeous than ever. Get in touch today and see the difference a professionally maintained Milwaukee lawn can make.

Proper lawn care in fall will give you a healthy yard, increased value of your home, and a healthier body.

We get it: The summer is over, the kids are in school, and football graces television sets around the country four days a week. A glorious season, indeed. However, this is no excuse to ignore your lawn. In fact, your yard needs some special attention this time of year. Ignoring your lawn in autumn will result in extra work in the spring.

Here are five tips to handle your lawn care in fall.

1. Mow Lower

You want your grass to produce more nutrients in the summer. In autumn, however, drop it back down to 2 inches. This is the standard deck height for most mowers.

Don’t mow too short. A lawn cut too short in the fall will be a breeding ground for weeds.

If you don’t mow low enough, your yard will be ruined by leaves, winter snow, and be a safe haven for field mice.

2. Rake on the Reg

Some people love the appearance of fall. And yes, the leaves turning colors is pretty and will have an artistic look scattered around on your grass. However, allowing leaves to pile up on your yard is a bad idea.

Raking leaves is lawn care in fall 101. As they become wet and stick together, they form a mat-like surface that suffocates your grass. This will result in springtime patches, making your yard an eyesore.

3. Yoink Those Weeds

Many weed varieties go to seed in the fall. If you want to avoid a lawn in spring that’s full of weeds, get them in autumn.

If you’re averse to using chemical herbicides, a simple vinegar and water solution will do the trick. Just do your best to keep it on the weeds and not your grass.

4. Aerate the Soil

This isn’t an annual thing. Aeration is a part of proper lawn care in fall, but you really only need to do it every couple of years.

Essentially, this is just poking holes in your lawn. You can do it by hand with a border fork or rent a machine. The purpose is to loosen up your grass and create channels for water, oxygen, and fertilizer to ensure your lawn grows healthy and strong in spring.

5. Fertilization for Lawn Care in Fall

You shouldn’t care about the growth of your yard right now. For lawn care in fall, you want to worry about what’s going on beneath the surface.

Your lawn should be properly aerated. Now’s the time to capitalize on the previous labor. Fertilizing your lawn in the fall will allow your roots to grow quickly and be healthy. This is when you want to lay seeds in bald or thin spots. You’ll want to rake the soil so your seed and fertilizer can work quickly and effectively.

These are the secrets to building an amazing lawn. What you do in the off-season matters just as much as what you do in the spring and summer.

If you would like to find out more about our Milwaukee lawn care services, have questions, or would like to utilize our services, contact us today.