9 Essential Fall Lawn Care Tips for San Diego
Fall Lawn Care Tips
While our “Indian Summer” is in full effect, it’ll be over before you know it, and that means that it’s time to prepare our lawns for fall. Keeping your lawn in tip-top shape requires extra attention in San Diego, no matter the season. We’re here to help with lawn care tips you can use to ensure that your lawn stays healthy year-round.
Fall is an excellent time to improve the health of your lawn, and you can start by giving your grass fertilizer to enrich the soil and replenish nutrients. After all, your lawn probably took a beating in the summer and may need to recover from those long, hot days. Read on for more tips you can use to take care of your lawn in San Diego.
How Do I Prepare My Lawn for Winter?
Have your soil tested
If your lawn looks unhealthy, a soil test is a helpful way to identify any deficiencies, including the presence of salt. San Diego’s soil tends to be alkaline and clay-like, so your lawn may have nutrient deficiency. If the soil test reveals you’re your lawn’s alkaline is too high (between 7 and 14 pH), you can lower your lawn’s pH level and amend alkaline soil with the following:
- Aluminum sulfate
- Peat moss
- Iron sulfate
- Elemental sulfur
Unfortunately, a soil test won’t give you the complete picture of your lawn’s health. A landscape professional can better identify diseases, pests, and improper irrigation.
Tidy up your yard
While we may have to deal with the massive raking of fall foliage like other parts of the U.S., there may still be some cleaning up to do. Dead leaves, tree branches, pine needles, and other debris can smother your grass if left to accumulate over time. All that foliage and debris may also attract rodents and insects.
Continue mowing the lawn
Your lawn may be slowing down, but you must continue mowing. Mowing your lawn in the fall will prepare it for winter. However, don’t give your grass a buzz cut because doing so can stress your lawn. Plus, keeping some extra length can help grass retain moisture to keep it healthy.
Be Water Wise
We get some rain in the fall, but it’s not enough to maintain a healthy lawn. So, you must keep watering your lawn. However, there may be local watering restrictions, so be mindful of any restrictions. Watering early in the morning yields the best results because it allows grass roots to absorb water. Water wisely about two to three times a week. You can make it easier by investing in a sprinkler system for automated watering.
Consider Overseeding
Overseeding your lawn in San Diego is an ideal way to give it some extra attention in the fall. Overseeding involves spreading new grass seed over your existing lawn. Doing this is an excellent way to thicken it up and can repair any barren spots caused by summer heat, pests, and heavy foot traffic.
Fertilize Your Lawn
Feeding your lawn with fertilizer can keep your lawn in San Diego vibrant and healthy. However, you need to feed your lawn at the right time. So, if you have cool-season grass, like tall fescue, you’ll want to fertilize it during the fall. Cool-season grasses are actively growing in the fall, and providing added nutrients will help them thrive.
Aerate
San Diego’s soil is clay-like so that it can be very compact. Compact soil can make it difficult for your lawn to absorb water and nutrients, making it look unhealthy. Aeration can help. Aerating your lawn allows for improved air, water, and nutrient flow—all things your lawn needs to thrive.
Dethatch Your Lawn
![dethatch cool-season ] lawn in fall](https://westturf.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/thatch_lawn-150x150.jpg)
If your lawn has an accumulation of roots, dead grass, and other organic material, there is likely a layer of thatch, and it should be removed. Here’s why: a layer of thatch can prevent air, water, and nutrients from reaching the roots of your grass. Removing cool-season grasses, such as tall fescue, late summer or early fall is best.
Control Weeds
Applying a pre-emergent herbicide in the fall will prevent winter weeds from taking over your lawn. We recommend using the pre-emergent herbicide from mid to late fall when the soil temperature reaches 70 degrees. Of course, you can always pull weeds by hand, and if you want to remove weeds manually, early morning is best.
The most common weeds in San Diego are:
- Grassy weeds: Foxtail and crabgrass
- Broadleaf weeds: Dandelion, chickweed, and clover
- Sedge weeds: Nutsedge
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At Westturf Landscape Management, we take pride in improving and maintaining lawns on commercial properties, HOAs, shopping centers, and more. If you're ready to upgrade your commercial landscape company in San Diego, call us at 760-650-3120 or send us a message online.
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Westturf Landscape Management
701 Mercantile Street
Vista, CA 92083
Phone: 760.650.3120