If you can believe it, the first day of fall is just days away. With the sun starting to set earlier and rise later with each passing day, the changing of the seasons can bring about a change in your lawn, too. While we don’t experience the changes in weather that many other areas do, you might be surprised to learn how shorter days, lower light, and slightly cooler temperatures can negatively impact your grass. In order to maintain a healthy yard this fall and into the winter months, there are several things you need to do to prep your Florida lawn.

The lawn care experts at Heron are here to discuss a few fall lawn care tips, including when to fertilize, how much to water, and more.

How to Prep Your Lawn This Fall

1. Stop fertilizing your Florida lawn after September.
   • As tempting as it may be, it’s important to stop feeding your grass in time for cooler temperatures. Fertilizer can spawn new growth, but it may suffer from colder weather.
2. Water your lawn less frequently.
   • Unless it’s rarely raining, it’s smart to cut back on watering your lawn in the fall and winter. Consider using a rain gauge to determine whether your grass is getting enough moisture (about 1 inch per week).
3. Possibly over-seed your lawn.
   • Many Floridians will plant a temporary grass as a winter lawn solution. These grasses will die off by the time spring comes, which is when you can ramp up spring lawn care practices.
4. Stop mowing your lawn.
   • Scale back on trimming your lawn as soon as you notice a dip in temperatures. Cutting it too often (especially when it’s not growing as much) can be harmful.
5. Look out for lawn pests.
   • An unhealthy lawn caused by any combination of factors can lead to lawn pest problems in the fall. Sod webworms are especially destructive this time of year.

Best Fall Lawn Maintenance

The last thing you want is for your green lush lawn that you enjoyed all spring and summer to take a turn for the worse as soon as autumn and winter roll around. In general, keep in mind that your lawn needs less “love” in the fall. If you fertilize, water, and mow your lawn just as you did in months prior, you can be sure to see a decrease in turf health. Colder temperatures leave your lawn in a more dormant state, making it important to wait until spring to ramp up your lawn maintenance routine once more.

Seasonal Lawn Care in Florida

Here in Central Florida, we don’t have to do as much fall and winter prep as other parts of the country. That said, it’s important to do all you can to ensure your lawn stays healthy until the springtime. If you need assistance ensuring your yard is maintained this time of year, the lawn care experts at Heron can help.