September 4th, 2023 by Shauna Hammond

While it may seem like summer has only just begun Autumn is right around the corner and now is a great time to start thinking about the next season's lawn care. After all garden care in Autumn is integral to ensure that your lawn is healthy and well protected ready for the winter months. In this blog, we will take a look at some great investments for the Autumn and how to take care of your lawn to ensure it survives the autumn and winter months.

Use the Right Lawn Feed

One of the most important things to start with is making changes to your lawn feed products and schedule – this is due to the fact that your lawn needs to change throughout the season so the care routine you had in place in summer will not necessarily provide all the correct nutrients your lawn needs during autumn and winter.

During the summer periods, your lawn will require more nitrogen as this enables it to absorb more energy and this in turn gives your lawn a more vibrant green colour, however during autumn and winter where your lawn is more susceptible to lawn disease and stunted growth so it is important to give your lawn and plants the nutrients it needs to resist these threats and diseases the main nutrients that will achieve this are Phosphate and Potassium as they promote growth and strengthen roots.

For lawn feed and fertiliser, it is also recommended to use a slow-release formula as this will ensure that your lawn gets a constant supply of nutrients throughout the colder months this will help your lawn better sustain itself.

Pro-Kleen Autumn Green Lawn Feed 2.5kg

Price: £14.95

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Mowing

While colder months can mean a break from mowing the lawn for some but it can actually help to keep your lawn healthy if you keep up with the mowing, as it will prevent grass from becoming too long and essentially smothering itself. That being said while mowing your lawn during the autumn it is recommended to leave it slightly longer than you would in summer as this will offer better protection against damage caused by colder weather.  

Over-seeding

While it may be surprising to some, autumn is also a fantastic time to over-seed your lawn in order to fill in bare or thinner areas on your lawn. This is because the temperature should still be mild enough for the germination of the seeds (10°C minimum) but also your lawn will see much less traffic and footfall during this time allowing for the seeds to grow undisturbed.

If you are going to over-seed your yard during autumn then it is also important to use a fertiliser that will encourage and sustain new growth, which would have a higher ratio of Phosphate and Potassium so look for a fertiliser with NPK levels that reflect this such as Pro-Kleen’s Seed Starter Fertiliser.

Pro-Kleen Pre Lawn and Seed Starter Lawn Fertiliser for New Lawns 2.5kg

Price: £14.95

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Add Mulch for Extra Protection

If you are looking for a way to provide some additional protection and ensure your plants and lawn are able to absorb all the nutrients they need in order to stay strong, then consider using mulch in your soil.

Mulch is a material that is used in soil or plant beds to offer a range of benefits to help protect and improve the overall health of your garden, mulch can either be made with organic or inorganic materials and you can even make your own mulch using fallen leaves (ideal in autumn when they are at an abundance)

Mulch is fantastic as its benefits are helpful all year round these include water retention, which means you can help reduce the amount of time spent in your yard watering as the weather begins to turn and you can rest assured your lawn and plants will still get enough water.  Mulch is always great to prevent soil erosion too which can occur with heavy rainfall and you can always count on the British seasons to bring with them plenty of rainfall. Adding a layer of mulch will also help improve temperature regulation so when the weather gets cold it will retain heat (likewise in the summer when it is hot it will help to keep soil cool) finally opting to use organic mulch will break down throughout the season and add and extra boost of nutrients to your soil – so as you can see apply a layer of mulch can really help to protect your garden when the weather beings to change.

Remove Fallen Leaves

Autumn is the season that we see leaves being to change colour and fall to the ground, and while it can be tempting to leave them to the mercy of the wind and other outdoor elements it is much more beneficial to your garden to remove leaves regularly.

This is because rotting leaves will increase the risk of pests that will damage your lawn or encourage lawn diseases such as mould to develop, which can be incredibly difficult to treat. Leaving a layer of fallen leaves can also create something of a barrier that can smother your grass, as they will be unable to get as much water and sunlight in order to process nutrients. For those with artificial grass, it is also important to remove these as the rotting leaves can leave stains behind.

The good news is that there are plenty of uses for the fallen leaves in your garden so why not gather them up and check out this blog on the best ways to make use of these fallen leaves and turn them into something beneficial for your garden?

Pro-Kleen 3 in 1 Leaf Blower, Vacuum

Price: £59.99

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Weeding

Unfortunately, autumn does not offer reprise from weeds in fact, the cooler temperature and damp conditions can actually cause some seeds to germinate so you may see an increase of weeds around autumn time. It is important to take time to treat these since nutrients are limited during the colder months as it is, so you do not want to create more competition for your lawn or plants. Weeds such as clover, thistle, ivy and bindweeds are particularly prominent during this time.

So, there you have the maintenance tips to keep in mind for this autumn to keep your garden not only looking its best but also to keep it strong and healthy so that it can withstand the harsh winter months.