As soon as October begins, you may think you can relax and forget about your grass, but lawn experts say it’s the worst time to be complacent.
Instead, as we move into fall, October is a key time in the lawn care calendar, and it all comes down to encouraging a strong root system for healthy growth next year.
It's all about the roots
“For cool-season grasses, the soil is still holding onto some summer warmth, but the air is crisp and cool. That combo is the sweet spot,” says Zack Nienaber at Nienaber And Sons Lawn Care. “The grass stops pushing all its energy into top growth and starts sending it straight down into the roots, which is exactly how it builds the resilience it needs to survive the winter.”
Allison Koenig, lawn and garden expert at Tractor Supply, agrees that it’s an important time for root growth to ensure the lawn bounces back quickly in the spring. “If you skip the fall lawn care work, you’re asking a weaker lawn to survive winter stress and then somehow come back lush and green in the spring,” she says.
To get your lawn ready to survive winter, here are 7 tasks lawn care experts recommend this month.
7 lawncare tasks for October
1. Clear the leaves
Get to work clearing leaves, as fallen leaves, twigs and other debris will block sunlight, trap moisture and invite fungus, leading to snow mold and brown patches.
Piles of damp leaves and debris can also attract unwanted pests, including insects and rodents, that can damage your yard. Uncleared debris can also block drains and prevent proper runoff, leading to waterlogging.
If you have a large expanse of lawn and a normal leaf rake isn’t up to the job, you could try a leaf blower.
2. Lower the mower height
It’s not time to stop mowing your lawn yet, but you can start lowering your mower blades. Nienaber recommends lowering the blades gradually during the month rather than making one big adjustment.
So why is it a good time to give your lawn a shorter cut? “If you leave it too long, it mats down under frost and rots,” he says, though he warns against mowing it too short, as it can stress the crown.
The sweet spot for cool-season turf is around 2.5 to 3 inches.
3. Check the soil
It’s a good time to check the soil to see if it’s compacted. If so, Koenig explains it can impact how well air, water and nutrients reach the roots. The solution is to aerate your lawn.
As well as increasing air circulation, loosening the soil can help drainage and prevent a waterlogged lawn, which is likely in fall if the rains are heavy.
Nienaber also advises checking the lawn to see if water is pooling. It could be a sign that the soil is waterlogged, which can lead to root rot.
4. Keep watering
“Don’t stop watering just because the weather feels cooler,” says Nienaber, “Unless the ground is literally frozen, lawns still need about an inch of water a week.”
Then, once the ground does start to freeze, Koenig advises draining any sprinklers or hoses and storing them before the first frost catches you off guard.
5. Overseed bare patches
“Fall is the perfect time to fertilize and repair thin or bare patches with new seed,” says Koenig, as even a well-maintained lawn can become patchy over time from weather stress and foot traffic
Overseeding your lawn will help revitalize its appearance and fill in the sparse patches.
6. Give your lawn a feed
While you’re overseeding your lawn, Koenig also recommends feeding it.
“Applying fertilizer while the lawn is still actively growing helps strengthen the root system, improve winter hardiness, and encourage healthier growth once spring arrives,” she adds.
Just be sure to follow product recommendations and apply the fertilizer before the ground freezes.
7. Watch your step
Once the frost visits us in the morning, Nienaber recommends staying off your lawn. “If you walk across frozen grass blades, they literally snap clean off, and you’ll be stuck staring at brown footprints for weeks until the turf can recover.”
When the grass goes into dormancy, it can’t repair itself, and broken blades can let in fungi and bacteria. So, if you need to walk on your grass, wait until later in the day, after the frost melts.
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