Don’t fall for these lawn mistakes

The seasons are changing. As the leaves begin to fall on your carefully kept lawn, you might ask, when does grass stop growing? Meaning: when can I put away my lawnmower for the winter months? But just because the grass is slowing down, doesn’t mean you can slack off on fall lawn care.

Avoid these common autumn lawn care mistakes to make sure your grass stays healthy now, and looks lush and green next spring.

1. Don’t stop watering

The weather may not be hot enough to turn your grass brown, but your lawn still needs water to grow and be healthy. Grasses need one to one-and-a-half inches of water per week throughout the growing season.

Grasses grow best when the water drips in slowly in a single long stream, allowing time for water to reach the deepest roots. Short bursts of watering just wet the surface, and most of the water evaporates before it reaches the roots, which doesn’t help your grass but does help shallow-rooted weeds like crabgrass.

As part of your fall lawn care plan, check if your grass needs more water with the footprint test. Walk across your lawn, and look back. If you can still see your footprints in the grass, you need to water your lawn.

When you do water your lawn, water in the early morning so that the grass surface can dry off. Cool fall temperatures at night combined with moisture can promote lawn diseases.

If you use a smart sprinkler, you can exercise plenty of control over watering your lawn. Our top smart sprinkler from Rachio tells you how much water is being used so you can track how many inches of water your lawn is receiving. Additionally, the Rachio smart sprinkler takes information about your climate and adjusts its settings to help your lawn get what it’s missing from the weather.

If you have a lawn irrigation system, remember that you need to drain your irrigation lines before frost.

2. Don’t let leaves build-up

In the autumn, your lawn can go from clear to leaf-covered overnight.

Leaves may look pretty on your lawn for a day or two, but once they get wet, they’ll form a dense mat that’s hard to remove. Those matted leaves also trap water next to your grass and keep it from

Court, Jerry and Cecilia Devine to Door2Doerr Properties, $85,000. 3610 Aspen Creek Drive, Melissa and Timothy Coons to James K. and Cabrina T. Dant, $550,000. 9308 Justine Court, Timothy Smith and Yuefang Hu to Darrian Nicole Evans, $276,000. 12519 Kirkham Road, David and Cordia Harlow to Gillt Free , $160,000. 4405 Mansfield estates Drive, Robert and Virginia Beavers to Derwin L. Webb and Aimee M. Green-Webb, $340,000. 5119 Oaklawn Park Drive, Bridget and Russell Johnson to Eugene C. and Stacey R. Sherell Jr., $415,000. 4618 Stone Lakes Drive, Travis Lee and Mary VanDyke Culver to Allen Lawrence and Renee Le Mon Pundt, $477,100.

Bullitt

drying out – a perfect environment for fungal diseases. Keep your lawn from turning into a mushroom farm by raking your leaves regularly.

Hate raking? Consider using a mulching mower to compost your leaves in place. The EGO Power+ LM2135SP is the best lawn mower we’ve tested and has a mulching option that makes it easy to tackle your lawn full of leaves.

Some mulching mowers can also bag shredded leaves if you don’t want to leave them on your lawn. Just remember that not only is itillegal in many states to send yard waste into a landfill, that mulch will also give back to your garden.

Leaves make excellent compost to nourish your lawn. To make the most of it, spread the mulch on garden beds, or compost it somewhere on your property.

3. Don’t ignore the bare spots

Farmers sow their crops in the spring, but the best time of the year for reseeding lawns is the fall.

Fall planting gives grass a head-start on growing the next spring, helping the plants to establish deep, healthy roots before summer heat halts growth. Reseed your lawn in the early fall – early to mid-September in northern areas. Consult your local agricultural extension for the best planting dates in your area.

When you’re planting grass, only use the recommended amount of grass seed the label recommends. Adding too much seed just makes your grass crowded, leading to spindly, weak blades. Keep watering your young grass until frost.

Check whether your spots are caused by shade, activity from pets or children, or problems like white grubs or patch diseases.

For a lush lawn, in addition to reseeding, you may need to change your landscape, how your water and fertilize your 1251 Bethel Church Road, Patricia A. and Clendon G. Ezell to Larry T. and Jewel Jackson, $4,000. 343 Cherokee Circle, Alpha Michelle Puckett to Terry E. Royalty, $344,000. 220 Gentry Lane, Carmeletta SkaggsShawler and Clint Shawler to Maria K. Pena Tarrago, $265,000. 703 John Austin Lane, Todd P. and Nancy Spencer to Conner Anthony Travis, $290,000. 387 Midland Lane, Audrey Breitmeyer to Ronald Eugene

and Debbie Mullins Sr., $385,000. 107 Raven's Nest Court, Fischer Homes Louisville to Kaylee and Drew Harris, $361,990.

108 Raven's Nest Court, Fischer Homes Louisville to Jacob Collins and Sandra Garr, $370,000. 228 Trevor Court, Samiul Islam and Nubera Tanzum to Robert D. and Mary C. Holt, $250,000. 269 W. Emerald Court, Mac Sawyers to Joshua L. and Kaitlin Danean Dennison, $290,000. 445 Williamsburg Drive, H. Ware Construction Inc. to Kevin and Brittany Lynch, $419,900.

106 Willow Branch Drive, Fischer Homes Louisville to Taylor and Nicholas Leslie, $288,490.

Lot 12 Coral Springs Parkway, D.R. Horton Inc. -Louisville to Daniel Lee Webb, $284,900. 2317 Castleman Branch , Elizabeth M. and James M. Powers to Lonny Ray Construction Inc., $165,000. 302 Hensley Road, Kelly Vervilles to Jairo Herrera Elvir and Kenny Aleijandra Diaz Villanueva, $192,500. 551 Highway 44 W., Doris Cella Cox to Sharon Barnette-Campbell and Kimberly M. Barnette-Bittorf, $234,900. 264 Lovers Leap Lane, Derek and Cortney Nalley to James and Megan Miller, $20,000.

Lot 40 Meadowland Trail, lawn, or where you let your dog and kids play.

If you’re seeking out a lawn fertilizer, go for an organic option like Scotts Natural Lawn Food, which will safely encourage grasses growth without endangering kids or pets.

4. Don’t stop mowing the lawn too soon

Now that you’ve noticed temperatures dropping, you might think you’re done with the mower.

When it comes to fall lawn care, there’s a lot of debate about how high to mow your lawn. Some experts recommend cutting the grass shorter in the fall, to allow the soil to dry out between mowings.

Others warn against cutting grass too short, and suggest keeping the grass the same height as in the summer to help it maintain long, healthy roots and shade out weed seeds.

That said, grass that’s left long through winter’s cold weather can encourage diseases and attract voles, pesky rodents that will devour grass blades and crown. Since they leave roots alone, voles seldom cause permanent damage to lawns, but they can make your yard look disheveled in early spring. Discourage them by keeping your grass to three inches for your final mow.

Whichever approach you choose, most types of grass should be cut to two-and-a-half to three-and-threequarters of an inch. To avoid stressing your grass, never cut more than onethird of the grass blade at a time.

5. Never stop fertilizing

Your grass grows more slowly in the fall, but it’s still growing – and if you live in the North, your grass is putting a lot of its energy into growing roots, not blades. Grasses should be fertilized during their major growth seasons, and

Arkadiy and Galina Uskov to Jason Hornung, $30,000. 2175 N. Preston Highway, Mary G. and Joel David Kilgore to Sharon Klosterman, $49,000.

299 Pine Creek Drive, Bryan Jason and Jennifer E. Miller to Joshua A. Hance and Jennifer Manning, $310,000.

114 Shady Glen Circle, David R. and Ladye Anna Lorraine Adams to Sadie Zeisloft and Ian Price, $240,000. 568 Steven Drive, James and Hannah Crosby Jr. to Seth Garrett Kelty, $187,000. 858 Tecumseh Drive, Jacob W. Collins to Gene and Sherry Holloway, $218,000. 291 Shady

Brook Lane, Terry N. and Diana C. Hammer to Lauren Elise Martin and Kevin E. Dickens, $277,000. 12460 Spring Trace Court, Irmgard M. Stepp to William L. and Eleanor F. Lovins, $255,750.

Oldham

4003 Shannon Cove, Tamela M. and Keith L. Smith to Nichole Allison and Damon Moran, $559,000. 6210 Brentwood Court, Mason Construction and Development to David M. and Kimberly D. Docimo, $805,000. 5605 Meadow Stream Way, Justis William Jarman to Badouan Properties, $152,000. 3308 Shallow Cove Court,

Northern cool-season grasses like fescue do most of their growing in the spring and fall.

Iowa State University recommends fertilizing northern lawns once in early fall to help grass recover from summer stress, and once in late fall to promote spring growth. Southern gardeners growing warm-season grasses like zoysia grass should skip the fall and fertilize in the late spring: Ask your local agricultural extension for the best timing for your area.

6. Don’t skip the soil test

Before you drag out the fertilizer bags, get a soil test to figure out what your lawn needs. Hardware stores and garden centers sell home soil test kits like this one from Luster Leaf that will tell you how much nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium there is in your soil (listed as NPK on fertilizer bags). For a more thorough analysis of your soil, contact your local agricultural extension.

Lawn fertilizer generally comes in three types: fast-release, slow-release, and compost.

Fast-release fertilizer will make your grass grow fast, but it’s easy to apply it unevenly, making your lawn look patchy. Apply too much and damage your grass. Simple Lawn Solutions has a nitrogen dense formula that quickly enriches grass.

Slow-release or controlled-release fertilizer is easier to apply, and is less likely to “burn” your grass, but it’s more expensive, and takes longer to work. Osmocote Smart-Release Fertilizer slowly fertilizes plants for six-months so it requires low-maintenance.

Compost adds both nutrients and organic matter to your soil for long-term soil health. Apply compost by cutting your grass to one inch and raking half an inch of compost over the grass as a top dressing.

In some states, like New York, it’s illegal to apply fertilizers with phosphorous to lawns because stormwater runoff from lawns can pollute waterways. Check with your local agricultural extension to find out if there are restrictions on fertilizers in your area.

How much do you need? Follow the directions on the bag to the letter; you’ll need less than you think. Remember, applying more fertilizer than the package says will waste your money and damage your plants. Don’t apply powdered or granular fertilizer just before a rain — it will run off in the rainwater. If you’re using compost, plan on using three-fourths of a cubic yard per 1,000 square feet of lawn.

PROPERTY TRANSFERS

Darrell S. and Katherine J. Dow to William C. and Martha G. Rice, $425,000. 4505 Tina Drive, Gary A. Guthrie and Toni Bryant Carroll to Daniel Camden, $225,000. 12105 Hillside Drive, Westmark Properties to Melanie M. Wheeler, $324,800. 12109 Ridgeview Drive, Edward J. and Rachael E. Geers to Lindsay Catherine and Justin O'Brien, $750,000. 501 N. Fifth Ave., Helen S. Endriss to Rafael Lopez, $252,000. 2105 Quail Ridge Drive, Fischer Homes Louisville to Mary C. and Gary L. Greer, $389,662. 3854 Scarlet Oak Lane,

Fischer Homes Louisville to Steven and Elizabeth Faddis, $349,763. 5301 Smith Haven Lane, Winters Living Trust to Haley Faye and Marcus Montgomery Price II, $370,000. 401 Ash Ave., Mary E. and Linville Harding Sinnock and Mary E. Sinnock Trust to Wendy Hagan, $375,000. 6917 Cedar Court, Matthew Scott and Whitney Napper and Diana Sue Morris Napper to Sarah Danielle Blevins and Hunter Patrick Hamilton, $210,000. 320 Maple Ave., Rosalia R. White to Dandy Dealings, $25,000. 1701 Anchorage Court, Tara L. Johnson-Wason to

Erin Zemmar, $390,000. 11105 Craigs Creek Court, Mason Construction and Development to David M. and Barbara A. Dutton, $1,104,196. 11109 Craigs Creek Court, Karen Ward Babcock to Timothy Caleb and Pamela Sue Hargrove, $234,500. 6114 Snapdragon Drive, Zac Inc. to Robert William and Ansley Howell Depp, $1,573,049. Lot 5 Tartan's Landing Dock C Section 2, Timothy J. and Sherry R. Culp to William Hopper Jr., $8,500.

40299

40047

40109

40165

40229

40010

40014

40026

40031

40056

40059

40299

1024 Watterson Trail, William and Rebecca Grace Barlow to Colonial Construction Inc., $42,500.

GETTY IMAGES Fall is the best time of year to get rid of weeds like dandelions.