Since I have been talking recently about getting a new lawn mower and getting your lawn prepared for fall time, I figured I might as well give you some reasons why you should have a nice lawn in the first place.

1) Your lawn is the only living thing that was included in your purchase price. I know that sounds strange, but when you buy a house, pretty much everything there is a non-living except the lawn grass and the landscape. That means that taking care of your lawn is keeping your house “alive!”

2) Your lawn is the “welcome mat to your home” and tells people you care about your abode and your neighborhood. If your grass is all dead and full of weeds, it looks like someone who is uncaring resides there; don’t let that be you!

3) Lawns help the environment too. Grass gets a bad rap because it is simple, doesn’t make flowers, and is basically the same in everyone’s place. But grass, be as common as it is, is one of the best air cleaners around. It makes fresh air in the same way that any plant does, but it also grabs dust out of the air and prevents erosion. That is super cool!

4) Grass smells good when it is cut – enough said!

5) Grass makes a great platform for meeting with family and friends. There is nothing better than a picnic on the grass with a group of friends and family. Throw in some cold beverages and you have the makings of a great weekend.

So with these quick ideas in mind, I recommend you head out this weekend and get to work on that beautiful patch of green love you call your yard. It will reward you many times over – I promise!

Up here in the Midwest, it has been dipping into the seventies these last few days, making me start to think of fall. Of course, there are lots of great events that happen in the fall including pumpkin carving, hayrides, leaf change, and hot apple cider. But more than any of these, I need you to work in your yard this fall to get it back in shape after the long stressful summer.

Here are some of the most basic, yet most important fall tasks you should put on your lawn care list.

1) Core Aeration: If you read this lawn blog often, you know that I mention core aeration every spring and every fall. That is because it is an essential procedure no matter what condition your turf is in right now. Aeration removes plugs from the lawn, opening up the root system to air, water and nutrients allowing it to spread and thicken. Aeration also relieves soil compaction that occurs from summer heat and foot traffic.

2) Fall Seeding: I also recommend you over seed your lawn right after the aeration. It is always a good idea to add fresh grass cultivars to your lawn. This helps keep things healthy and new and new grass varieties are more disease and drought resistant.

3) Fall Fertilization: The last piece of the fall lawn care pie is the fertilizing. We want to use a good, balanced fertilizer that contains equal amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. These elements will encourage the roots to spread even more, especially after the aeration.

These are really simple tips and not Earth shattering, but I assure you they are very important. Set a schedule now of when you’ll get them completed, starting anytime in September.