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Lawn Care and Garden Clean-Up for Autumn - Part 1
As we come to the end of the summer months and autumn sets in, your garden’s needs begin to change. In this two part Hyundai Power Product blog we look at the two essential areas to keep your garden looking great and in excellent condition over the next few months.
Part 1
Lawn Care for Autumn
With September around the corner and the autumn months ahead, the focus shifts from growth and bloom to preparation for the colder months ahead.
Proper lawn care during autumn is crucial to ensure a healthy, vibrant garden come spring.
Here’s how to get started:
1. Scarifying: The Key to a Healthy Lawn
Scarifying, or dethatching, is an essential autumn task that helps remove the build-up of dead grass, moss, and other debris from your lawn. This layer, known as thatch, can prevent water, nutrients, and air from reaching the grass roots, leading to a weak and patchy lawn.
What does thatch look like?
Thatch is a dense layer of dead and living organic material, primarily composed of roots, stems, and grass, that accumulates between the soil surface and the green vegetation of a lawn. When thatch becomes too thick, it can hinder water, nutrients, and air from reaching the soil and roots, leading to issues like poor lawn health and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases. Mossy thatch on a lawn is when moss begins to grow within this layer, often indicating poor drainage, low soil pH, or shady, damp conditions that favor moss over grass.
Common Scarifying questions:
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When to Scarify: The best time to scarify is in early autumn when the grass is still growing. This allows your lawn to recover before the cold sets in.
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How to Scarify: Use a scarifier, which can be either manual or powered. For smaller lawns, a spring-tine rake might suffice, but larger areas benefit from an electric or petrol scarifier. Start by mowing your lawn shorter than usual. Then, run the scarifier over the lawn, working in different directions to ensure thorough coverage.
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Aftercare: Post-scarification, your lawn may look worse before it gets better. Don’t worry! Rake up the debris and consider overseeding any bare patches. Apply a top dressing of compost or lawn soil to help with recovery and retain moisture.
Read our full Guide on Scarifying your lawn >
2. Mowing: Adjusting for Autumn
Mowing in autumn is all about balance. The aim is to keep the grass at a height that’s manageable while also protecting it from the upcoming colder weather. During autumn and mild winters grass will continue to grow. Depending on your grass variety, grass will grow in temperatures 5c and above.
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Frequency: As temperatures drop, grass growth slows down. You won’t need to mow as often as in summer, but regular mowing is still necessary. Aim to mow every two weeks or so, depending on how fast your grass grows.
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Height: Gradually raise the mower blades as autumn progresses. This helps the grass retain energy and protects the roots from frost damage. A height of around 2.5-3 inches (6-8cm) is ideal for most lawns during autumn.
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The Ideal Cut: Throughout autumn and onto the colder month, ensure your grass isn’t too long as this can lead to disease and pest problems, but cutting it too short can expose it to frost.
Is your mower looking tired after the summer? Why not upgrade your machine and take advantage of our fantastic offers. Check out these popular lawn mowers
The Hyundai HYM3800E is an ideal budget-friendly electric lawn mower for autumn lawn care, offering versatility with its adjustable cutting heights, easy-to-use design, and mulching capability to nourish your lawn while providing a neat striped finish.
The Hyundai HYM80LI460SP is a cordless, self-propelled lawn mower, offering powerful, quiet, and maintenance-free operation with adjustable cutting heights, long-lasting battery life, and convenient features like a large grass collector and compact storage.
