Don't Stop Watering Because It's Fall

Fall is officially here with its cooler temperatures and higher rainfall - usually. This can be an unpredictable season. Don't be so quick to winterize the garden hose or inground sprinkler system just yet. You don't want the plants and lawn you've nurtured all summer to enter the winter freeze stressed from a lack of water. If you haven't received at least an inch of water in a week, go ahead and water your lawn and gardens.

Remember, the same rules for watering well still apply - water deeply and infrequently. You should be able to continue using your inground sprinkler system until mid to late October before there's a lot of danger of a hard frost. Of course, some homeowners prefer to get the task done while the weather is still warm. Make sure to call our experts at Nutri-Lawn Ottawa Inground Sprinkler Systems for help with winterizing your inground irrigation system.

We put together a short list of other fall landscape and lawn care tips to help nurture the investment you've made in your property.

Keep Mowing

Don't leave the lawn to grow more than 2.5 - 3 inches high. Leaving the grass too long when the snow falls will create the perfect conditions for fungus and snow mold problems in the spring. Don't cut your lawn shorter than that because the plant is working hard to store nutrients for the winter and most of the energy is created in top two-thirds of each blade of grass. Cutting the lawn too short could leave the plant stressed when the cold weather hits.

Gather leaves

This should go without saying, but if piles or even layers of wet leaves are left on a lawn over the winter, the grass beneath will be smothered. Spring will arrive and you'll be faced with patches of dead lawn. Avoid this frustration by keeping the leaves picked up.

Fall Planting

Transplanting and splitting plants is often done in fall with little consequence to the plant if time has been given for new roots to begin before the first hard frost. This is a great time of year to invest in some perennials as they'll have a chance to send out enough roots to survive winter and are often greatly discounted by nurseries.

Mulch

We've posted before about the benefits of mulch. In spring, mulch works to suppress weeds, in summer mulch still prevents weeds, but it also keeps the soil moist and cool. In winter, mulch acts as insulation against the cold. If you have any new or young plants, consider adding mulch around their bases for an extra layer of protection against winter kill.

Pruning

Snow is heavy and can bring down dead or nearly dead branches and cause serious damage. Instead of waiting for winter to wreak havoc on your trees, why not proactively take down the dead limbs and branches now without causing damage to the tree or your property? An ounce of prevention and all that.

Nutri-Lawn Ottawa Inground Sprinkler Systems is a full service lawn care and inground irrigation company and we are happy to take care of all your lawn care needs. Contact us today for your complimentary quote.to winterize your irrigation system.