Autumn is an ideal time to fertilize, TruGreen says. A green lawn during the fall promotes accumulation of food reserves important to deeper root growth and quicker green-up next spring.
Aeration, creating tiny holes in the lawn, lets water soak in, stimulating root growth and improving fertilizer absorption.
"When you aerate your lawn, it becomes a sponge soaking up water and preventing runoff," said Kirk Hurto, vice president of TruGreen. "It improves irrigation and protects your lawn from thatch build-up - the layer of dead plant material that collects between the grass blades and the soil."
Don't put away the lawn mower when the first leaves fall. To guarantee a healthy lawn in the spring, continue to mow regularly while the turf is actively growing.
Finally, don't let dead leaves stay on the grass through fall and winter. It's best to either remove the fallen leaves or mulch them with a mulching lawn mower. Compost the leaves and use them to nourish plants and shrubs.
