8 Fall Lawn Care Tips for a Beautiful Yard Next Spring

Fall gives way to beautiful foliage and crisp, cool weather, but this change also brings a change in your lawn's needs. As temperatures decrease, there are some essential tasks you will need to complete to keep your lawn healthy throughout fall and winter.

Starting these tasks sooner rather than later will ensure your yard looks great come spring. Plus, using fall to care for your lawn helps repair any damage it endured during summer. But there's more to getting your lawn ready for colder weather than simply raking up your leaves. Ahead, experts share their best fall lawn care tips to ensure your yard looks beautiful for seasons to come.

Aerate Your Lawn

Aerating your lawn improves air circulation by reducing soil compaction. "Holes formed from aerating will provide room for water, air, and fertilizer to travel deeper into the soil. This important step will help your lawn look lush and healthy by spring," says Brian Parker, senior live goods merchant at Home Depot.

To aerate your lawn, use a power aerator or star-wheeled cultivator to till the target area to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Then, lightly coat the area with fresh soil, and sprinkle grass seed to match the surrounding grass. Till again and tamp lightly with your foot to get good seed-to-soil contact. Use bamboo stakes or bent twigs to mark newly seeded areas, and water well.

Rake Your Leaves

Raking your leaves throughout fall is important to your lawn's overall health. "I know that raking up the leaves isn't the most glamorous task, but it is important so that your lawn can continue the photosynthesis process of absorbing the sun's rays to keep healthy and green," says Ryan McEnany, public relations and communications specialist for Bailey Nursery. "Just like the plants in your garden, the grass needs to continue seeing that sun to be healthy in fall and again next spring." Raking leaves also exposes your grass to the air, Schwager notes, which helps it prevent diseases like mold and fungal infections.

Mow Your Grass

Lawn growth will slow during fall, but this doesn't mean you should stop mowing. "Your lawn needs to be mown as long as it's actively growing," Schwager says. "Depending on the weather, that may extend well into fall." Mowing your grass also helps protect it from diseases because it lets more air reach the soil. "Shorter lawns also typically use less water and encourage better root development," Schwager says.

Trim Your Trees

Cut back small amounts of your shade and ornamental flowering trees during fall. "Trim shade and ornamental flowering trees to prevent branches from falling on your lawn or garden due to wind or heavy snow," Parker says. "By pruning dead limbs you're preventing the hazards a fallen branch may bring to the home." He recommends cutting close to the trunk, but not flush with it, so as not to cause damage in the future.

Lay Down Mulch

Protect your garden from the harsh conditions that winter brings by mulching during fall. "Adding mulch around the base of trees and plants can help prevent them from freezing once winter comes," says Parker. Fall is also a good time to add mulch to any garden beds you want to expand next spring. "Planning ahead will guarantee that the soil is free of unwanted growth once the ground is warmer and ready for planting," Parker says. 

Fertilize Your Lawn

Help your grass build strong and healthy roots by fertilizing it as part of your fall lawn care. "Use a slow-release fertilizer that has a high concentration of nitrogen," says McEnany. "Nitrogen is the element that encourages green growth, so it's key for turf development."

Give your lawn one application of fertilizer in early autumn—which helps plants reestablish their root systems that may have suffered during summer—and another application a couple of months later. Fertilizing twice will help your grass store energy for next spring and break down mulched leaves from the fall months.

Continue Watering

Your lawn and plants still need water, so don't forget to give them a drink just because it's cooler out. "Also, like your garden, continue watering the lawn until frost," says McEnany. "It will not need as much water as you give it in the summer, but it's important to keep the soil evenly moist until frost hits and the lawn goes dormant." 

You'll know your yard is ready for watering when you poke your finger a couple of inches down into the soil and don't feel moisture. "Most lawns will look a little drab when they're thirsty, but some people have trouble noticing this change in color," says Schwager. 

Fill in Dead Patches

Fall is a good time to care for thinning and dead patches of lawn that occurred during summer. "The soil is still warm enough that the seed will germinate quickly, and the new grass plants will appreciate the cooler temperatures and higher levels of moisture usually associated with fall weather," Schwager says. "Your lawn will have a jump-start next spring with the new grass already somewhat established."