October Lawn Care Tips: What to Do Now
Fall is an excellent time to rejuvenate your lawn. Both cool and warm-season grasses benefit from some care during the chill of October. Join longtime landscaper Jerad Bryant to learn what to do now for a healthy lawn in the future.
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Cool-season grasses love the chill of October. They thrive and push out bunches of fresh blades that need mowing. Warm-season grasses begin to slow their growth this month, and they also benefit from special care.
Some areas are dry this month, while others are wet and cool. Irrigation is necessary in dry areas until grasses enter dormancy for the season. Maintain a moist environment to keep them growing well, then pull back on watering when they’re dormant.
Cool-season grasses may continue growing throughout the winter, and they’ll need water in frost-free climates. They’ll enter dormancy in areas with frequent winter freezes and frosts, requiring minimal irrigation and care.
Because of the lawn’s seasonal nature, October is an ideal time to refresh, rejuvenate, and replenish your lawn. It’ll benefit from mowing, dethatching, and mulching, among many other things. Let’s get into the essentials for October lawn care.
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Mow
October lawn care starts with mowing the lawn frequently. New green growth requires frequent mowing to stay dense and short. How tall to mow it depends on what you’re using the lawn for.
Mow the lawn short, at two inches, if you’d like to walk on the grass. This height keeps the crowns of the grass plants healthy, and it creates a walkable mat that’s soft to the foot.
Mow it higher, at three or four inches, if you rarely walk on it. A tall height resists weed pressure better than a short one. Raising the height now means less lawn care in the future.
If the lawn is already dormant, you don’t need to mow. Make sure you mow it once before winter to cut it short, then let it overwinter until spring.
Irrigate
Whether to irrigate or not as part of your October lawn care depends on your climate. If it’s rainy and moist, you don’t need to water much. If, however, the area is dry, water the lawn once or twice a week to keep it green and healthy.
October is a cool month in most parts of the U.S., and the lawn needs less water than during the hot months of summer. Cool temperatures mean less evaporation, and the ground will stay moist for longer periods of time.
Adjust your sprinkler systems as necessary to keep the lawn moist, but not soggy. Use an overhead sprinkler, or find a hose attachment for a quick watering fix.
Dethatch
Dethatching removes the dead, dry grass that’s accumulated on the soil. The dead organic matter creates a thick mat that hinders new growth. Removing it, then adding mulch to replace it, will benefit your grass in the long run.
To complete this October lawn care task, start by finding a rake with fine teeth or a dethatching tool. Run either over the lawn, pulling them gently to remove the dead growth. Rake the grass into a pile. It makes good mulch, and it mixes well in compost piles.
A few dethatching runs may be necessary to remove all the debris. Repeat the process as many times as you need to reveal the soil beneath.
Aerate
After dethatching, choose whether or not you’d like to aerate the lawn during October lawn care. Core aeration uses a plug-making tool to remove pieces of soil from the ground. This process opens the soil up, letting water and air reach the grasses’ roots.
Find a core aerator from a tool store, then stab it into the ground to pull up plugs. Don’t throw the chunks of soil away! Put them in compost, or scatter them in your ornamental flower beds.
Mulch
Mulch is the best way to feed the lawn as part of your October lawn care. Using a mulch like compost boosts the soil, creating a rich ecosystem full of worms, beneficial bacteria, and fungi. It’s easy to mulch the lawn with some simple tools.
The easiest way to add mulch is with a compost spreader. This tool has a tumbler on its end with holes throughout. You put the mulch inside the tumbler, then run it along the lawn to spread the compost.
If you don’t have a spreader, try using a rake. Drop small piles of compost throughout the lawn, then rake them to form an even layer below the grass blades.
Overseed
Overseeding is necessary when bare patches appear over the growing season. The open soil lets weed seeds sprout, and it takes a while for the lawn to cover the spots with fresh growth. Instead of leaving them open, sow seeds in October to blanket the ground with young seedlings.
Start by finding a grass variety that works well in your region. Choose a cool type in cold climates, and a warm one in frost-free ones. Then, purchase seeds in bulk.
Rake the bare patches to make them even, then scatter lots of seeds onto them. Lightly tamp the seeds, and cover them with a thin layer of soil or compost. After seeding, water the site well and keep it moist while the seeds sprout.
Install Sod or Plugs
Instead of overseeding, you may opt for installing sod or plugs instead during October lawn care. Sod is rolled up patches of grass, while plugs are small plants in pots. Both sprout and establish quicker than seeds, though they’re more expensive and time-consuming to install.
Find sod of your chosen grass variety. Rake back the soil and cut pieces of sod to fit the spots. Pin them down with landscape stakes, and keep them moist while they establish. Mow them after a week or two, taking care to remove the stakes before mowing.
Or, plant plugs an inch or two apart throughout the bare patches. Water them, then mow them frequently to help them form a thick mat.
Fertilize
Fall and spring are superb seasons for lawn fertilization. Cool-season grasses benefit from the boost, while warm-season ones do not need nutrients in October. Wait to fertilize them until new growth occurs in spring.
If the lawn is putting out plenty of fresh growth in October, it’s likely there are cool-loving grasses growing. Give them a boost with a high-nitrogen fertilizer that also has potassium and phosphorus. Find an organic lawn fertilizer, then follow the instructions on its packaging for proper application rates.
The easiest way to complete this October lawn care task is with a spreader. Use a handheld tool or a tumbler to spread the granules, then water the lawn well. You don’t need to water if it’s raining, but you do if it’s not. Water helps leach the nutrients into the soil, and it prevents the fertilizer from burning the leafy blades.
Key Takeaways
- Lots of October lawn care now ensures a healthy landscape next year. Give your grasses what they need in October to keep them vigorous, thick, and green.
- If you’ve never dethatched, mulched, or aerated the site, you’ll be surprised by the results! These processes work well to rejuvenate grasses.
- Irrigation may or may not be necessary; look to the climate to see. If it’s rainy, you don’t need to water. If it’s dry, water well to keep the soil moist.
- Fill bare spots now when the cool weather favors seed germination. Overseed with a variety that works well in your region.
