ClearlyTips › Fall lawn care

Fall Lawn Care: Your September Checklist

Fall is when next spring's lawn is really won.
Fall is when next spring's lawn is really won.

Fall is when you make next spring’s lawn.

Keep mowing, then drop the height for the final cut.
Keep mowing, then drop the height for the final cut.

Keep mowing, then lower it

Grass grows until a hard frost. Drop the blade a notch for the last cuts so it doesn’t mat under snow.

Aerate, then overseed the thin and bare spots.
Aerate, then overseed the thin and bare spots.

Aerate and overseed

Cool-season grass roots best in fall. Aerate compacted soil, then overseed thin and bare spots.

Grass seed & aerator →

A fall feeding builds strong roots for spring.
A fall feeding builds strong roots for spring.

Feed the roots

A fall winterizer fertilizer builds roots for a thick green lawn next spring.

Fall lawn fertilizer →

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Don't let a blanket of leaves smother the grass.
Don't let a blanket of leaves smother the grass.

Manage the leaves

Rake heavy layers; a thin layer you can mulch-mow right back in as free fertilizer.

Related tips

Fall leaf cleanup →Clean your gutters →

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