Timely Tips for Fall

Fall is the Time to RESTORE and PREPARE trees, shrubs and turf…

Rejuvenate your trees, shrubs and lawns and help prepare them for winter by following these fall care tips. For additional tips subscribe to our newsletter and receive the latest tree care and lawn care tips sent right to your inbox.

Tree

Fall Tree Care Tip #1: Help evergreens and new plantings retain moisture

ArborGuard®, our exclusive natural polymer antidesiccant, helps plants such as azalea, boxwood and rhododendron to retain moisture during the winter season. It also helps prevent sunscald and windburn.

Fall Tree Care Tip #2: Recover from drought damage and promote health with sea kelp

Sea kelp rich solutions, such as our exclusive ArborKelp®, are just what weak trees and shrubs need. ArborKelp helps to establish strong, healthy roots.

Fall Tree Care Tip #3: Fertilize to replenish nutrients

SavATree’s ArborHealth® advanced nutrient tree fertilizer program provides essential nutrients to the soil in your landscape. Our arborists determine precise intervals based on the specific needs of your trees and shrubs. Variables such as tree species, soil conditions; tree age, tree diseases, health, location, weather and stress conditions all factor into the tree fertilizer formula that your arborist develops for your property.

Fall Tree Care Tip #4: Protect from wind, snow and ice damage now with the help of a certified arborists

Professional pruning, cabling and bracing will preserve beauty and form by preventing breakage. Our complimentary Storm Damage Prevention Audit will help you identify potential hazards on your landscape.

Hint: Plant in the fall!

Consider planting woody ornamentals this fall for better results. The stable air temperatures combined with the soil temperatures and moisture levels from September through November (depending on your location) are ideal for transplanted trees and shrubs to develop healthy, full root systems. The best time to plant in your area is after the worst heat and possibility of drought stress have passed and well before (four to six weeks) the ground is frozen.

Lawn

Fall Lawn Care Tip #1: Test Your Soil

Before you begin any fall lawn care procedures, one of the most important elements of a fall lawn care program is to have your soil tested. Testing the soil will shed light on the existing levels of nutrients, pH and other factors that affect growth in plants and grass. The results will also help your lawn care specialist select an appropriate type of lawn fertilizer. If the test shows a need to reduce acidity, a lime application will correct the pH.

Fall Lawn Care Tip #2: Aerate

Aeration is a process of removing soil cores from your lawn to help improve water, air and nutrient movement in the soil. Aerating your lawn reduces soil compaction from foot and lawn mower traffic and works to break down thatch, that buildup of organic matter beneath the blades of the grass but above the soil. These two conditions impede air and water movement to the soil and work to weaken your lawn’s root system.

Fall Lawn Care Tip #3: Fertilize

Lawn fertilizer is a key element of fall lawn care. By fertilizing your lawn this fall, you will be making an investment in your lawn’s root system that will reap considerable returns. Two or three applications of lawn fertilizer scheduled evenly between September and December will provide your lawn with the nutrients that it needs to develop a deep, strong root system. This will enhance your lawn’s ability to draw water from the soil so that it survives the winter and thrives next spring.

Be sure that you (or your lawn care provider) include a slow release formula which will last through November. Once top growth of your lawn ceases, use an all-mineral lawn fertilizer for the final application in preparation for winter.

Lawn Care Tip #4: Seed

Fall is the best time to plant grass if your lawn is thin or if you wish to plant new types of grass due to poor color or diseases. Proper seeding includes preparation of the soil, choosing high quality grass seeds selected for the specific needs of your lawn, and applying the right rate. Once the seeding is complete, water is the critical element!

Lawn Care Tip #5: Irrigate

Even though the temperature has dropped, it is still necessary to water the lawn. Grass needs water in order to survive, so make sure your lawn gets at least one inch of water per week. You can use a rain gauge or pan to help you.

Lawn Care Tip #6: Clean up & Mow

Keeping a lawn free of debris and mowing properly are critical. To prepare your lawn for winter, rake up leaves no more than two weeks after they fall to prevent stress from suffocation and lack of light. Once all of your leaves are cleaned up, you should mow the lawn one final time after it stops growing. This final mowing can be at a reduced mowing height of 2 to 2.5 inches.

Fall Gardening Tip: Compost Fallen Leaves

In addition to being beautiful, fallen leaves make great compost. This season consider putting leaves, branches and weeds into a compost bin. Add kitchen waste like fruit and vegetable peels, tea bags and coffee grinds. By spring you’ll have nutrient-rich, homemade organic soil ready to spread throughout your garden.

Stumped? SavATree can help!

Maintaining your landscape can be very rewarding, but finding reliable and easy to understand information on the topic can be frustrating.

Are you looking for lawn care tips, tree trimming tips or advice on the best organic lawn fertilizer? Not sure if your trees need pruning? What’s the best approach for spring lawn care, or the best steps to take in the fall to prepare for spring blooms? How can you grow beautiful plants in the winter? What’s the right type of grass for your landscape? How can you tell if your trees or lawn are diseased?

Our expert arborists have compiled helpful tree and lawn care tips and articles – we even developed a comprehensive tree and lawn care calendar so you know what do to and when to do it. The Care Calendar, developed by our certified arborists, is intended to provide a month-by-month guide to landscaping. It’s filled with tips that will help you care for, cultivate and beautify your trees, lawn and garden.

 

For additional tree care and lawn care information, please click or call today to arrange a complimentary consultation with an arborist or one of our fully trained lawn care experts.