In any case, leaves should be kept off newly planted
lawns and young seedlings, since they can impair new
growth in several ways – by matting down and/or blocking
sunlight, water and any late fertilizer applications.
If your state regulations still allow leaf blowers,
these usually work best for removing leaves from new
lawns. Otherwise, try not to be too aggressive with your
leaf rake, as vigorous raking may damage or rip-out
tender young seedlings. It’s much easier to remove
freshly fallen leaves than ones that have been left for
a while, so greater frequency makes for lighter work and
better results. Think of it as aerobics for the day.
It may be necessary to mow your lawn one final time
right before Thanksgiving if fall weather has been warm
enough to extend the lawn’s growth period. While grass
shouldn’t be scalped, it is best to mow it short enough
that it doesn’t tend to lay-over under snow accumulation
and making it more subject to gray or pink snow mold
disease. A final cutting height of two to
two-and-one-half inches should be fine for ‘hibernating’
most ‘traditional northeastern lawns’ of bluegrass,
fescue and perennial rye.
After that final mowing, don’t forget to add some
fuel stabilizer to the gas tank and run the mower for a
few minutes to work the additive through the entire fuel
system. This will help prevent that major spring
aggravation #@$%^&@&*#! when you pull the lawnmower out
and it won’t start, or it starts but runs poorly due to
a gummed-up fuel system. Gas stabilizer is sold at most
auto parts stores. Follow label instructions. Don’t
neglect other landscaping equipment that may also need
to be treated. It has been our experience that two-cycle
equipment (oil-gas mix) doesn’t gum up as readily as
engines that run straight gasoline, maybe due to
additives in the two-cycle oil mix. As you may already
know, two-cycle engines are gradually being phased out
in favor of all four-cycle engines.
While you have the lawnmower out for your last
rendezvous, this is also a great time to get it ready
for the first mowing next year. Since that mowing
usually occurs later than it should, and the grass is
already high, it will be another ‘aggravation reducer’
if you don’t have to do lawnmower maintenance too. So,
if you have the tools and abilities to do so, remove the
blade to sharpen it. Most sharpening services can do the
sharpening for you. Most lawnmower repairs will do a
fall winterization and maintenance that includes this
service. But if you decide to do it yourself, try to
grind or file-off evenly tapered cutting edges
(difficult with most bench grinders, but it can be done)
and make sure the blade is balanced when you are done.
Balanced? Yes, the blade should balance itself midpoint
to reduce any vibration problems while spinning. There
are several blade balancers on the market, the most
simple one is a small metal graduated cone that balances
on a pointed metal pin.
Basic inexpensive
blade balancer
During the sharpening process, the blade can be
checked periodically to see which side of the blade is
still too heavy and out of balance, by using a ruler to
measure the distance of each blade tip from the work
surface. This may sound silly, but make sure you put the
blade back on “right side up” with all the other parts
installed in the right sequence. Proper tightening
torque of the blade bolt or nut is critical, so check
manufacturer specs.
Late fall fertilization? For those who fertilize early
in the spring (March/April in the northeast) you can
probably skip this application if you applied fertilizer
during the regular fall fertilization period in
September. For those who wait until May or June for
their first spring fertilizer application, late fall
fertilization would probably be a good idea. Most late
fall fertilizer blends are high in potassium (the last
number on the fertilizer label) to help with winter
hardiness. Most forms of potassium have a high “burn
potential” due to their saltiness, so read the
fertilizer label and try to apply it when the grass is
dry. It would also be a good idea to water this
application in, to further reduce any burn potential.
Lawn roots continue to grow longer than top growth, but
you don’t want to apply this application too late –
mid-October to mid-November is about right for the
northeastern US.
Fall "winterizers"
are high in potash
to promote winter hardiness
Bonus tip: Make sure newly planted trees and shrubs
go into winter with adequate moisture at their roots,
especially evergreens, since they continue to transpire
moisture through the winter months and can dry out.
For further details on fall lawn procedures, see the
Lawn
Winterization page.
LawnBoss
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