Bawden's guide to autumn lawn maintenance - preparing your lawn for next year.
Mowing
Shorter days and lowering temperatures will slow the rate of growth of your lawn and cutting will be less frequent. As winter approaches, raise the cutting height and make sure your mower blades remain sharp to prevent damaging the sward.
Feeding
Applying an autumn grass feed will provide your lawn with sufficient nutrients to carry it through the damper autumn days and winter months when conditions such as the fungal disease Fusarium Patch is more prevalent. Feeding your lawn at this time will strengthen it and keep it healthy until you treat it again in the spring.
Over-seeding
It your lawn has had heavy wear over the summer, or suffered in drought conditions, there is still time to over-seed and ensure the grass germinates before it becomes too cold. This will repair patches of wear and restore your lawn’s appearance. Combine a suitable grass seed with lawn topdressing and spread onto the lightly loosened soil in the area for repair. Firm down gently and wait for the seed to germinate.
Topdressing
A bumpy and uneven lawn can be improved by applying topdressing at the rate of between 1 and 3 kg per square metre. When you do this, choose a period when the lawn is relatively dry and brush into the sward, adding slightly more depth when there are noticeable dips.
Aeration
To relieve compaction, improve drainage and allow more air into the root system, aerate compacted areas of the lawn with a fork or spiking machine designed for the job.
Worms
Lots of worms are the sign of a healthy lawn as they improve the nutrient content of the soil. They are also an important source of food for your garden birds. If you have visible worm casts simply leave them to dry and then sweep them into the sward, just like a top dressing!
Leaf clearing
It is advisable not to let fallen leaves pile up for too long on your lawn. Remove them regularly with a leaf rake, brush or leaf blower/vacuum and add them to your compost pile. Keeping your lawn free from leaf debris will ensure the air continues to circulate and your lawn stays green.
Scarification
Scarifying your lawn in the autumn will remove dead grass, moss and other organic matter such as dead leaves, allowing new grass to establish and strengthen without competition and in preparation for the dormant winter period ahead. You can scarify using an electric domestic scarifier, or by using a spring tine rake. The results of your efforts can be quite dramatic and it may appear that you have removed more ‘lawn’ than you intended. Don’t worry, you will only be removing material with no or very shallow roots and the healthy grass that should be there will be left to thicken and grow, now that it can breathe.
Weed treatment
Broadleaf weeds in your lawn should be treated using the appropriate selective herbicide or removed by hand using a knife or mechanical weeder to ensure the entire root is taken out.
Moss
As previously mentioned, scarifying your lawn will help to remove moss. If preferred, you can apply moss killer before scarifying, which will turn the moss black, making it more readily visible so that you are sure you have removed it.