Time To Put Your Lawn To Bed

I know it sounds strange to talk about putting your lawn to bed as if it were a child, but that’s exactly what it’s like if you really think about it. Spring and Summer are very busy times of year for both my kids and my lawn. They both need food and water to survive, they both need endless care and support, plus, oftentimes neither one of them does what I want them to do. See, they are exactly the same…

That said, it is incredibly important to prepare your lawn for the cooler weather by following just a few simple steps. While I’m not an expert yet, my year long lesson in lawn maintenance definitely has me feeling more confident as we head into winter. Now, technically you should be doing two lawn feedings in the Fall, one around Labour Day and another in mid-October, but if you missed one that’s ok. Just make sure to follow the 4Rs of Nutrient Stewardship – It’s never too late to start!

For my Fall feedings I used Scott’s Turf Builder Fall Lawn Food and followed these simple steps from their website. I cut the lawn short, raked up the excess grass, filled my spreader and, starting around the perimeter of the lawn, covered it from head to toe. Fertilizing Tip: It’s important to check the bag to make sure you put the proper setting on the spreader.

Once you are finished with your feeding, there are a few smaller steps that can get lost in the excitement of using the spreader. First, you should pour any excess fertilizer back into the bag and I highly recommend you do it somewhere on the lawn in case you miss the bag. I also like to sweep the bits of fertilizer that inevitably end up on the driveway back onto the lawn. Finally, make sure you seal the fertilizer bag well and store it somewhere safe for future use.

This all seemed completely overwhelming to me just 8 months ago and although I am still learning as I go, I feel far more confident after seeing the results from Spring to Fall. All that to say you don’t have to be an expert to get started with reviving your lawn. Go out and grab some Fall food, follow the simple steps listed above and spend the winter reading up on how to get started next Spring! I have found the Fertilizer Canada website to be an excellent resource, as well as the tutorials on the Scotts page.

Oh, and today just so happens to be Global Fertilizer Day, so there’s no better time to go out and get started on your lawn project! You can follow the #FertilizerDay hashtag on social media to really kickstart your education on the benefits of fertilizing!

*This post was sponsored by Fertilizer Canada. They have been so helpful in my journey to a greener and thicker lawn!*