EXPERT ADVICE

There’s nothing quite like the fall in Michigan.  The leaves turn colors, there is a crisp feel in the air and the temperature is perfect for a sweatshirt. We’ve got wonderful activities that allow us to enjoy the beauty outside – backyard football games, bonfires, hunting and visits to the apple orchard. When it comes to fall weather, we look for any excuse to get out and enjoy our state before the chill of winter sets in. In fact, the nastiness of winter almost seems like a small price to pay for the beauty we enjoy in the fall (of course, we probably don’t feel quite that way in February). In addition to terrific outdoor recreation, fall is also the best time for many outdoor projects. The mild weather and generally plentiful rainfall make fall a great time for landscaping.

Lawns are generally resilient, but if yours isn’t looking its best, any work you do now can result in a great looking lawn next spring. Aerating and dethatching are great fall projects. Aerating pulls small plugs out of the lawn. This reduces soil compaction, allowing air, water and nutrients to feed the grass at the roots. After aerating, there will be hundreds of cores of grass and dirt that you might be tempted to rake up and throw away – don’t do it. Leave those cores on the lawn to decompose and return their nutrients to the remaining lawn. If you want to speed up the process you can take a rake and break them up, but even if left whole they’ll be gone in a week or so. Dethatching involves raking up the layer of dead grass between your lawn and the soil.  Remember that some thatch is good and healthy so only dethatch if you have excessive thickness (more than ¾”) in your thatch layer.

Dethatching can be done manually with a rake or with a walk-behind power rake. Unlike aerating, it is important to get rid of the raked-up thatch either by composting or bagging. Both aerating and dethatching can be accomplished with some basic equipment that is easily found at your local rental store, or you can save the time and hire a lawn maintenance professional to perform them at very reasonable prices.

If you have bare or thin spots in your lawn, overseeding is most effective in the fall and after aeration. Sowing grass seed now will give it time to germinate throughout this growing season, and the aeration holes provide ideal resting spots for the new seed.

Fertilization also provides the biggest returns in the fall. If you want a bright, healthy lawn in the springtime, fertilization in the fall is probably the most important application of the year. In addition to providing instant nutrition now, fertilizing helps the lawn build up carbohydrates needed to survive the winter and green up quickly in the spring.

The most important lawn maintenance in the fall is raking the leaves. Resist the temptation to let the leaves sit on your lawn, as they can suffocate it and cause problems after the snow melts if they are left all winter. Moderate amounts of leaves can be mulched with a good mulching mower and returned to the soil. If you have lots of mature trees or trees that drop very large leaves, you will need to rake or vacuum them to keep your lawn healthy.

In addition to lawn maintenance, fall is perfect for other projects that can beautify your landscape. Plant new trees and shrubs now while the weather is still mild. This gives plants the time to take root and adjust to their new location while they are most vulnerable. They will look terrific come next spring. Divide and transplant your perennials and prune back any dead foliage in your flower beds. Fall is also the time to plant springblooming bulbs so they have the necessary time to chill over the winter months.

If you have a vegetable garden, your supply of fresh veggies doesn’t have to end. Many crops, like radishes, winter cauliflower, broccoli and spinach, can be planted in September and harvested before the snow falls. If you would like a garden next year, fall is the best time to get started. Till up the ground now and add compost and soil amendments. This gives the soil time to absorb and break down the nutrients so the garden will be ready for planting a fruitful harvest next year. And the more you do in the fall, the less you’ll need to do in the spring, except for the fun of choosing your vegetables.

Michigan in the fall is as good as it gets for enjoying the outdoors. Our changing seasons are one of the reasons that people love our great state. And this season is also ideal for growing and enhancing landscapes. Have a wonderful fall both at work and at play!