August 12, 2020

Autumn trees - orange autumn trees tops against blue sky. Autumn nature view of autumn trees on a sunny day.

As summer nears its end, it’s a good time to begin thinking about the fall season and how it will affect your landscape. The temperatures will begin to drop and it will begin to rain more often. Not only will you want to begin preparing your landscape for these changes, but you’ll want to make sure that it will be in the best possible shape throughout fall so that it can make it through winter with minimal wear and tear. With that in mind, the following are a few tasks that you will need to perform to prepare your commercial landscape for fall:

Aerate Soil

If your soil has become too compact, it will make it difficult for plants and grass to receive the nutrients they need. This will become even more problematic as you head into winter, which is why you should aerate your soil.

Plant Grass Seed Where Necessary

If you notice thin spots of grass in your landscape, then now is the time to plant more grass seed. Do so right after you aerate the soil so that it has the best chance at growing quickly and healthy during the fall. If you have cool-season grass, the best time to plant is in the late summer or early fall.

Remove Dead Leaves

As summer transitions to fall, the leaves on your trees are going to begin dropping. You won’t want to leave them in place as they not only block your grass from receiving the sunlight it needs, but they can also trap moisture which can cause fungal infections. Not to mention that dead leaves attract a lot of insects.

Cut Grass Short

As temperatures begin dropping, you should begin cutting your grass shorter. During the fall, the grass should be at mid-length. Towards the end of fall, you’ll want to cut it shorter. If you leave your grass too tall during the colder months of the year, it can get matted and diseased as a result. However, don’t cut it too short — you won’t want your roots to be exposed to cold temperatures as this can result in damage.

Water Plants and Grass

Despite the fact that it will rain more in the fall and the temperatures will begin to drop, you should continue watering your plants and grass regularly up until the end of the fall season.

Fertilize

You shouldn’t fertilize your lawn in the summer since hot temperatures can combine with the presence of fertilizer to burn your lawn. Instead, you should add fertilizer once the summer heat has died down and fall has begun. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure your soil has all the nutrients it needs to make it through winter, which means that the best time to add fertilizer is two to three weeks before the ground freezes.

Blow Out the Sprinkler Lines

Towards the end of fall, you’ll need to blow out your sprinkler lines to ensure that there’s no remaining water in your pipes. If water remains, it will freeze in the winter and cause damage to your sprinkler system.

Cut Back Perennials

Certain perennials, such as peonies, iris foliage, hosta foliage, and daylilies should be cut back in the fall. However, not all perennials should be cut back at this time.

Plant Shrubs and Perennial Bulbs

Fall is the best time to plant new shrubs and perennial bulbs. This is because of the combination of warm soil and cool air will help to stimulate the growth of roots so that they are established before winter hits.

These are some of the landscaping tasks that will need to be completed to prepare your commercial landscape for the fall season. For professional help maintaining your commercial landscape in Ann Arbor, MI, contact us at Twin Oaks Landscape today.