Posted on: November 12, 2008
Break out the chore chart
Before your lawn slips into hibernation this winter, take a few minutes to make sure it's ready for spring
Image courtesy istockphoto
There are plenty of fall chores you can do to prepare your lawn for both winter and spring. Briggs & Stratton, the Milwaukee-based outdoor power equipment producer, tells you which ones not to ignore.
1. Test your soil. You may wonder why your lawn doesn�t grow quite as well in a certain area of your yard, or you may be planning a new vegetable or perennial garden. Do a soil test now to determine if and how the soil needs to be amended for your plants to thrive. Your county agricultural extension office can provide soil test assistance.
2. Fall is a good time to plant trees. Trees planted in the fall concentrate their energy on establishing strong roots rather than growing leaves and flowers. Follow planting directions. The basics include digging a hole twice as wide as the root ball of the tree and never planting the tree too deep. The top of the root ball should be level with the ground surrounding the tree. Water deeply after planting.
3. Start creating that new garden bed. If you are thinking about planting a new garden bed next spring, start now. Mark off the intended garden spot (you can use spray paint) and mow the lawn very short in this area. Cover the area with wet newspapers and a couple inches of mulch that will help hold them in place. By next spring, the grass will have died back and decomposed, making it easier to work the soil.
4. Get the most from your leaves. If you have a mulching lawn mower, you can mow over leaves, shredding them into tiny pieces that help fertilize your lawn naturally. If you have too many leaves for this method to be efficient, rake them and then turn them into mulch. You will need an area where the leaves will not blow away � you can build a simple wire enclosure. Place the leaves in the enclosure, wet them and pack them down with a rake or shovel. Between leaf layers, you can add a few shovels-full of soil and nitrogen in the form of a layer of grass clippings or manure to speed up decomposition. By late spring, the partially decomposed leaves will make a great mulching material.
5. Take care of your lawn and garden tools. Before you store your trowels, weed diggers, rakes and shovels, wash and dry them, then apply a light coating of oil you can rub on with a rag. Fall also is an ideal time to tune-up your lawn mower. Be sure to use up all of the gasoline in your mower or add a fuel stabilizer to the fuel before you store it away for the winter.