One of the fashion trends of modern country private houses has become a lawn - a well-groomed green lawn located directly in front of the main building or on most of the site.
Many owners, mistakenly thinking that such a clearing will grow beautifully without proper care, are often disappointed. With improper use, lack of periodic feeding and weeding, high-quality haircuts, lawn grass quickly becomes clogged with weeds, withers, falls to the ground and looks terrifying. It is quite difficult to cover all the features of lawn maintenance in one article, so today we will talk about cutting in general and about autumn cutting in particular.
Lawn in landscape design
Mowing is one of the main types of lawn care. It starts from mid-May or earlier, depending on natural conditions. The main characteristic that determines the beginning of spring cutting is the length of the grass. When this indicator reaches a value of 10 centimeters, it is recommended to carry out the first haircut. The task of the procedure is to give the plants an optimal length equal to 4-5 centimeters. Less short grass quickly withers due to the drying of the soil and can die completely, especially during the hot season. Plants of greater length do not hold the necessary shape, droop. Such a lawn looks sloppy, untidy and is not a decoration of the house. To maintain the lawn in good condition, it is recommended to cut it at intervals of 1 time in one to two weeks. The length of the period mainly depends on the intensity of plant growth, which, in turn, depends on the amount of moisture (irrigation, precipitation) and top dressing.
Together with lawns, tools for lawn care came to the territory of our country. And one of the most popular of them is lawn mowers.
What types of these units are not found in modern specialized firms. By purchasing one of these, you can give the perfect cut to your lawn vegetation. Even coming to the site only for the weekend, using quality mowers, it will not be difficult to keep your bright green meadow in perfect condition.
Lawn care in autumn. Last mowing
All year long, the diligent owner took care of his plantings, protected them from diseases and pests, fought weeds, fed and watered not only the beds, but also the lawn with a lack of atmospheric moisture. And now the harvest is harvested, the soil is prepared for wintering. Many are wondering when to finish lawn grass care, how to prepare it for wintering, so as not to lose the results of their hard work next year.
There are no set deadlines for finishing work on the lawn. The main indicator should be weather conditions. If the autumn turned out to be sunny with a small amount of rain, which happens quite rarely, artificial watering should be carried out no more than once every 5-7 days, trying not to overmoisten the soil. In the event of an excessive amount of water, on the contrary, it is necessary to additionally aerate the soil, helping to quickly evaporate excess moisture, thereby preventing the possible rotting of the root mass of lawn plants.
Long before the autumn period, it is necessary to stop applying fertilizers of the nitrogen group to the territory of the lawns. They stimulate the active growth of green mass, which is not advisable in the autumn season, the period of preparing the lawn for winter dormancy. But potash and phosphorus fertilizers can be applied until the end of lawn mowing. This will help strengthen the root mass of plants and transfer them to a harsh winter period.
It is also difficult to determine the time of the last mowing of the lawn. Biologists recommend finishing cutting grass a couple of weeks before the onset of frost. At the same time, nature often presents us with pleasant autumn surprises, for example, as this year, when, after several night frosts, a long period of unprecedented heat set in. Therefore, we recommend continuing as far as possible regular mowing of the lawn at the previously established frequency. When grass growth slows down, the duration of the intervals may increase. Continue to focus on the length of the plant stems. Try not to exceed 8-10 centimeters. At the same time, do not forget to monitor the weather in reliable sources. Try to let the grass of the lawn go into the winter, reaching a length of about eight centimeters. This will allow her to successfully winter and continue to delight you next year.
Another frequently asked question by lawn owners has to do with harvesting grass clippings. There are two diametrical opinions. Some suggest leaving the green mass directly on the lawn, which allegedly favorably affects the preservation of moisture in the soil and fertilizes it. Professionals, on the other hand, unequivocally recommend that plant remains be completely removed from the lawn in order to avoid the development of diseases, rotting of the lawn and deterioration of its condition. In autumn, we advise you to place all the collected grass on the beds. Thus, in the spring you will get ready-made humus exactly where it should be.
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Some summer residents, planting a green lawn in the spring, do not even think about the fact that lawn care in winter is one of the important stages in maintaining the beauty and health of the grass.
The procedures for keeping your yard looking good after the winter are not that hard to follow. In this article, you can learn how to prepare your lawn grass for winter and what to do to avoid unwanted hassle after a long winter.
How to prepare your lawn for winter?
To protect the lawn from adverse effects, as well as to preserve the soddy layer of soil as much as possible, the preparation of the lawn for winter should begin in September.
The most important procedure that provides a comfortable microclimate under a layer of snow is aeration. Such care will ensure proper air exchange, and in the season of autumn and spring rains, as well as snowmelt, it will create a favorable circulation of moisture. To prepare the lawn for winter care in this way, you will need an aerator or sharpened pitchforks.
If you are just thinking about creating a beautiful green meadow, you can prepare the ground for the lawn in advance. To do this, clear and level the site, and then firmly roll it with a garden roller. After the snow melts, you can start planting grass almost immediately.
When is the last time you mow your lawn before winter?
Lawn grass goes through several stages of development before winter - from active growth on sunny autumn days to complete drying. The intensity of its growth depends on weather conditions and may vary depending on the region. Of course, leaving a thick grass cover in the winter is not the most reasonable solution. But when to mow the lawn before winter, if the weather is so changeable?
- The end of September - October (for the middle lane);
- October - November (for warm regions).
It is worth mowing the grass before the winter period in stable rainy weather or the establishment of night frosts. It is during this period that the cold actively affects the tender stems, gradually inhibiting their growth.
You can learn how to mow lawn grass in the fall in one of our articles.
Autumn lawn fertilizer
In order for the green lawn to continue to please you for a long time, you need to regularly use special fertilizers. Fertilizing the lawn in autumn is a mandatory procedure that allows the soil to replenish the supply of useful trace elements, minerals and humic acids.
Complex fertilizers for autumn application are different:
- Organic;
- Mineral;
- Organo-mineral.
In our store you will find a special complex autumn fertilizer (“OMU autumn”) - this is a balanced set of substances necessary to protect the soil and grass from the winter cold. It contains all the necessary list of substances that activate the growth of grass in early spring.
You can find out how and when to apply autumn fertilizers in one of our articles or in the instructions for feeding.
Lawn care in autumn - preparation for winter
In order for your site to recover faster from winter colds, rains and unstable spring weather, lawn grass care in the fall should be especially thorough. The most necessary procedures that you need to perform:
- Removal of decorative elements and debris from the surface;
- A haircut;
- Scarification and aeration;
- Lawn fertilization before winter.
As additional measures, procedures can be carried out to remove weeds, pests, as well as sowing new grass.
After fertilization, mulching can also be carried out. This procedure is a cutting of grass with its subsequent use as a thermoregulating layer. Such care is especially relevant for young coatings, the roots of which have not yet formed a dense soddy layer. In addition, finely chopped shoots are an excellent vegetable fertilizer. Read more about this procedure in our special article.
In this section, we have collected useful recommendations from experienced gardeners and landscape designers. Our tips will help you get answers to all the frequently asked questions - when to fertilize lawn grass, how to carry out vegetation maintenance procedures, what to do to protect the lawn from diseases and pests.
- So that spots and bald spots do not appear on the site, you should not throw snow from the paths onto the lawn. Long periods of snow melt in the spring can significantly degrade the appearance of your paving.
- When do you need to apply complex autumn fertilizer? We recommend fertilizing the soil only after all necessary procedures have been carried out. It is better if the fertilizer is in solid granular form.
- Winter grass varieties will help speed up spring growth. If you want to get luxurious greens as quickly as possible, plant some bluegrass or ryegrass. These varieties ripen the fastest.
By following these simple rules, you can not only protect your lawn from the winter cold, but also provide it with proper nutrition and active growth in the spring.
At the same time, a dense green lawn can serve well both for decorating the territory of a summer cottage or as a background for flower beds, and as an element that combines buildings and other types of vegetation into a single whole. Therefore, it is important to properly care for it, cut the grass, remove irregularities and feed the soil. During transitional periods, especially in autumn, the lawn especially needs good care. Indeed, otherwise, by the next season, the place of the green lawn may be taken by a completely unhappy picture and the grass will have to be grown again.
To avoid this, it is necessary to carry out a number of simple actions every year.
We will need the following tools
Brief list of works:
- We stop watering.
- We make the last haircut (approximate dates are given below).
- We feed the soil.
- We carry out aeration.
- We cover the lawn with mulch.
Let's consider each item in more detail.
Lawn watering in autumn
It is traditionally believed that with the advent of September, the rainy season comes to central Russia. However, miracles are happening with the weather these days, so it’s better to focus on real events. As soon as continuous autumn rains begin, watering the lawn can be safely minimized and stopped completely on the eve of the first frost.
If you miss the moment, you can cause increased soil moisture, which in itself negatively affects the lawn: the grass can get sick or start to rot. Frosts will finish off the root system and next year you will have to start sowing from scratch.
Should I cut grass in the fall?
Many people ask this question. Whereas the answer is obvious. The lawn needs to be mowed in winter. In addition, there are certain rules for this.
In the summer, mowing the lawn can be done almost weekly. In autumn, the temperature drops and the earth cools down, slowing down the growth of plants. Due to this, this procedure is carried out less and less. The last time it is desirable to carry out 2 weeks before the first frost.
If you let everything take its course and in the winter the lawn is covered with a dense field, then the grass will fall under the snow.
Refusing a haircut can cause a number of negative consequences:
- mice can nest in the grass under the snow;
- in spring, the remains of withered vegetation will prevent new shoots from breaking through;
- increases the likelihood of rot.
Fertilizing the soil in winter
It is worth feeding the soil and choosing fertilizers taking into account the characteristics of the soil of your site. It is traditionally believed that in winter it is better to reduce the use of fertilizers containing nitrogen (as they not only give the grass a richer color, but also contribute to the growth of greenery) and feed with phosphorus and potassium (help develop the root system).
In the event that your lawn is planted on sandy or magnesium-poor soil, it is also recommended to fertilize with a deoxidizer. For example, limestone flour. This will increase the efficiency of applying mineral fertilizers and neutralize soil acidity harmful to plants.
It is desirable to fertilize on dry, calm days before the onset of cold weather.
Soil aeration
Carrying out these works contributes to the saturation of the soil with oxygen and the organization of natural air exchange. Thus, it will be possible to improve drainage and avoid the formation of puddles and icing, which often leads to bald spots during wintering due to the freezing of certain sections of the grass cover.
The only exception when aeration can be omitted is sandy soil. In such conditions, natural drainage independently removes moisture and protects against deep freezing from accumulated moisture.
In work, you can use an aerator or ordinary garden forks. In this case, the procedure is best carried out in dry sunny weather - so the effect will be maximum.
When aerating the lawn, the turf should be slightly raised from the ground to ensure sufficient oxygen supply and aeration of the soil, as well as to improve drainage. Upon completion, it is recommended not to walk on the lawn for a couple of days. During this time, he will rest, lower himself and take on his original appearance.
Lawn mulching
Vegetation that remains on the surface during the winter can cause a number of unpleasant consequences for the lawn due to the development of dampness in the dying cover, which also contributes to many diseases.
A modern summer cottage is not only the presence of beds, garden trees, shrubs and flower beds, but also a beautiful dense lawn.
A well-groomed green lawn gives the territory splendor, combines vegetation and buildings into a single integral space. It's nice to walk barefoot on the dewy grass in the morning, lie down on a lounger on a sunny day.
Floral arrangements, decorative flowering trees and shrubs look especially beautiful against the backdrop of a green lawn.
But he, like many plants, needs care and preparation for wintering.
Lawn types
Among the lawns that are customary to arrange on personal plots, the following types can be distinguished.
Parterre - a high-quality lawn, arranged in the most ceremonial places, more often around the house, does not tolerate trampling. The grasses of such a lawn are soft, grow densely, creating a thick green "carpet".
common lawn suit anywhere in the area. Used as a recreation area. In terms of decorative properties, it is inferior to the parterre lawn, but at the same time it is less whimsical, you can walk on it without fear of damaging it.
More often it can be found around a decorative reservoir, in combination with alpine slides. It looks like a blooming lawn, because in addition to grasses for the lawn, wild flowers blooming in different periods (forest forget-me-not, red clover, alyssium, poppy, etc.) are included in the composition.
sports turf designed for outdoor activities and sports grounds, the most durable and not afraid of trampling. But at the stage of its formation, it is necessary to adhere to the technology developed for the construction of a sports lawn.
In addition to the main types of lawn, there are so-called subspecies. But today we will talk in more detail about how to prepare the lawn for winter.
How to prepare your lawn for winter?
When harvesting and preparing the beds for winter, do not forget about the lawn, even if it takes up a small part of your garden. Only with proper lawn care, it will delight you from spring to autumn. Try to get your lawn ready for winter before the first frost.
At the preparatory stage, it is necessary to clean the lawn of debris, fallen leaves and rotten grass using a fan rake. Next, you need to cut or mow the grass, leaving it 5-7 cm high. In autumn, you need to mow the lawn less often than in summer - once every two weeks, as plant growth slows down.
The last time to mow the lawn before winter should be in early October., but this is typical for the middle band. In the southern regions, colds come later, and in the northern regions, snow can fall as early as October.
Mow your lawn for the winter, but not too short, you need to leave it at least 5 cm high. Strongly regrown grass will wither with the onset of frost, and in the spring it can become an obstacle to new young shoots. After mowing the lawn, be sure to clean up the mowed grass.
September - time to fertilize the lawn before winter. Usually these are phosphorus-potassium fertilizers. After fertilizing, the soil must be watered to the lawn so that the fertilizer granules dissolve and do not lead to a chemical burn of the grass. Some experts advise adding a deoxidizer (chalk, lime powder, etc.) to the lawn.
If you find bald spots on the lawn, re-sow the seeds with a grass mixture better than the one you sowed originally, so that the newly grown grass does not differ from the one that is already growing on the site. Apply sifted compost to the yellowed places of the lawn with a layer of 2-3 cm. Overseeding of grasses can be left in the spring. In the fall, cover the formed pits with a mixture of sand and humus and lightly tamp.
The next step in preparing the lawn for wintering will be soil aeration. on which it grows. In other words, you need to pierce the lawn to a depth of no more than 20 cm. This is especially true for clay soils. Punctures can be performed with a pitchfork after 30-40 cm, slightly raising the turf.
Thus, you will carry out soil drainage and air access to the root system of plants. After draining, do not walk on the lawn for 2-3 days. For a lawn on sandy soils, this stage of work can be neglected, the water in such soils drains on its own.
Before the onset of frost, it is better to cover the lawn with a mixture of peat and dry compost. For tired soil, this will be a good top dressing.
Some rules for lawn care in the cold season
- Before covering the lawn with a layer of at least 15-20 cm of snow, you should not walk on it. Follow this rule in the rainy season. At this time, lawn grass is most vulnerable.
- The ice crust formed on the lawn as a result of the winter thaw is best broken to allow air to enter the plants.
- For the same reason, do not fill the rink on the lawn.
- Do not allow snow to fall on the lawn after cleaning the paths, and if this happens, then free the lawn from deposits with the arrival of a thaw, otherwise bald spots may form in these places that will spoil the appearance of the lawn with the advent of spring.
Lawn care after winter
No less attention to itself requires a lawn after winter. With the arrival of steady heat, it is necessary to feed the soil even before the young grass has grown. The fertilizer complex, in addition to phosphorus-potassium components, must contain nitrogen, which contributes to better plant vegetation. Fertilize in the evening, and water the lawn liberally until the fertilizer is completely dissolved.
After 1.5-2 weeks, it is necessary to “comb out” the lawn. This procedure will provide air access to the root system of plants. The resulting felt, if not combed out, can lead to grass diseases.
In spring, as well as in autumn, it is necessary to aerate the lawn. This can be done only in places of stagnant water, in lower areas.
With the advent of heat on moist soil, weeds begin to grow actively. Fighting them in small areas of the lawn can be done mechanically, manually. But if the lawn area is large, then a chemical method of weed control comes to the rescue - the introduction of selective herbicides, which will destroy weeds without damaging the lawn.
In the spring, it is necessary to restore the lawn by sowing seeds on bare areas. The sown area must be compacted and watered.
Treat everything you do with love, and the result will undoubtedly please you!
Useful video
Lawn care in autumn and preparation for winter include a few simple procedures: timely mowing, aeration and fertilization. We will talk in more detail about what else is important to know about pre-winter "lawn" work in our article.
A well-groomed and healthy lawn is the decoration of a suburban area. In order not to think about how to restore a frozen lawn at the beginning of the next season, take care of your country lawn now. We tell you how to care for your lawn in the fall so that you can properly prepare it for the winter.
As a rule, the autumn time comes to our latitudes with its constant companion - rainy weather. During September, the soil receives enough moisture, and therefore the lawn should be watered in the fall only in drought (1 time in 5-7 days). The sprinkler method is a great option, but in no case should puddles form on the lawn, because. this can lead to decay.
Usually, watering the lawn is stopped in October, so that the soil does not get waterlogged, and the grass does not weaken and get sick before the onset of cold weather.
When to mow the lawn in the fall?
If in the summer the country lawn is cut about 1-2 times a week, then in the fall this procedure is carried out less often. The number of haircuts is reduced gradually, as the temperature of the soil drops and the plants inhibit growth.
ON A NOTE! You should not completely abandon the autumn mowing of the lawn, because too tall grass will lie down with the arrival of frosts and thereby interfere with the growth of new shoots. The optimal grass height before wintering is 6-8 cm.
To the question of when to mow the lawn for the last time in the fall, you can answer this: if you know from the weather forecast when frosts will come, carry out a pre-winter haircut 2 weeks before this time. For the middle lane, this is the beginning of October, for the south - mid-late October, and in the northern regions, the final mowing of the lawn before winter is carried out at the end of September.
The first thing to remember when choosing autumn lawn fertilizer is no nitrogen! This element helps to accelerate the growth of green mass, and this is not at all what the plant needs to prepare for frost.
IMPORTANT! For a safe wintering of a plant, the main thing is to strengthen its root system, and not the aerial part, so lawn fertilizer in the fall should contain phosphorus and potassium.
7-10 days before the expected frosts, the lawn is fertilized with bone meal, adding 2-3 cups per 1 sq.m. This will reduce the acidity, and will also gradually saturate the soil with nutrients, so that the grass will begin to grow quite early in the spring. Lawn fertilizing with double superphosphate is effective, application rate: 50-70 g per 1 sq.m.
Potassium will increase the resistance of the grass to diseases, give it strength. Suitable for autumn feeding:
- potassium sulfate, or potassium sulfate (20-30 g per 1 sq.m);
- potassium magnesia (30-60 g per 1 sq.m);
- potassium salt (30-40 g per 1 sq.m), etc.
In stores, you can buy fertilizers specially designed for winter application, usually they are called autumn fertilizers. If dry weather persists, water the lawn and let the grass dry before fertilizing. After 2 days, make another watering if there was no rain during this period.
To saturate the soil with oxygen, it is necessary to aerate the lawn, and the autumn time is no exception. If you don't have an aerator, take an ordinary garden fork and, while piercing the soil, slightly raise the turf layer, slightly tilting it towards you. It is best to do this in dry weather.
Some useful tips on how to properly pierce the turf with a pitchfork:
- Make punctures at a distance of 20-30 cm from each other.
- A suitable puncture depth is 15-20 cm. This will allow moisture to penetrate into the deeper layers of the soil and eliminate the formation of an ice crust on the surface of the lawn.
- After the procedure, let the lawn rest - do not walk on it for 2-3 days.
As for whether to remove the leaves from the lawn in the fall, there are two opposing opinions. Some say that in nature, leaf fall is natural, which means that the leaves can be left intact throughout the area. But this approach is too categorical: the lawn is an artificially created landscape, so the rule of “naturalness” does not work with it. If the leaves are left on the lawn, they will be compressed under a layer of snow, which will interfere with the normal development of the grass.
At the end of the season, when the air is already well moistened and drought is unlikely, lawn grasses can be sown. Autumn planting of the lawn is suitable if in the spring the site did not have time to prepare for sowing. The optimal time for sowing a lawn in the fall is from mid to late September. Some gardeners advise winter sowing in November.
When sown in September the root system of plants will have time to get stronger before frost, the grass will grow to the desired height and go into winter. For sowing in november wait for the first small frosts and sow seeds, increasing the consumption rate recommended by the manufacturer by 20-50%. Supporters of winter sowing argue that a light frost will only harden young plants, and the lawn will acquire good moisture and frost resistance.
ON A NOTE! Podzimny lawn sowing is not suitable for a plot with a slope: with the advent of spring, seeds sown in late autumn will be washed out of the soil by melt water.
The soil for the lawn is prepared a few weeks before sowing: the soil is dug up, choosing stones and getting rid of weeds, leveling and tamping. A week before sowing, a complex mineral fertilizer is applied (it is better to buy a special one for the lawn). Seeds are scattered with a fan, along and across the site, then closed up with a rake. After that, sprinkle with a thin layer of peat and water.
OUR REFERENCE! If your site is located in a lowland, take care of drainage for the lawn. To do this, remove the top layer of soil, add gravel, broken bricks or other construction waste. Then pour coarse river sand (10 cm layer) and lay the removed fertile soil. Level all layers with a roller or a large log.
Finally - a few words about the care of the rolled lawn in the fall. Pre-winter preparation of this type of lawn is no different from the care of a classic lawn. In addition, such a lawn can be laid even in late autumn, until December. If you want to know more about the features of a rolled lawn, read our material on the topic.