Fall Lawn Care Tips For South Dakota Lawns

Winter is fast approaching in South Dakota which means homeowners should be getting their yards prepared before the first frost. Many people look forward to fall as a time to put down the gardening tools, park the lawnmower in the back of the garage, and relax until spring. Actually, fall is an opportunity to get your yard prepped and ready for spring. The more effort you put into your yard in the fall the healthier your lawn will be next year. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started.

Clean Out Your Gutters

One of the most overlooked chores is cleaning out the gutters. Gutters are supposed to be out of sight out of mind but that only applies if the gutter system is working properly. Too often our gutters get clogged with sticks, leaves, pine needles, and other debris. If we don’t monitor our gutters regularly then they can become clogged. When gutters are clogged it will cause water to overflow and erode the dirt away from your foundation. This can lead to cracks in your foundation which can lead to even bigger more expensive issues. So take five minutes to check your gutters and save yourself the headache of foundation repair or a flooded basement. 

Fall Weed Control

In the fall we usually stop caring as much about weed control and how our grass looks. After all, the growing season is over and everything is going to die, right? Annual weeds will die off, yes, but in South Dakota, perennial weeds will be moving energy stores from their leaves to their roots. Weeds such as dandelions, bindweed, and thistle have thick root systems that make them very hard to kill. Even if you spray them with herbicide and kill their crown, they could have enough energy in their roots to regrow. That is why fall is the best time to kill perennial weeds. Applying herbicide in the fall will cause the product to move along for the ride down into the roots, killing the plant. But spot treating isn’t going to take care of all your weeds. Most weeds bloom and spread seeds in the fall. These seeds are bedded down in your soil where they will wait until spring to germinate. The best way to eliminate spring weeds is to kill them in the fall before they go to seed. But if you can’t get them in the fall, applying a pre-emergent in the spring will prevent the seeds from taking root. 

Fall Pest Control

One of the things you have to worry about in the fall is fall pests. As the weather gets colder in South Dakota many insects will be moving out of their summer feeding grounds in search of warm places to spend the winter. You will see these bugs gathering on the sunny sides of buildings as they prepare to hunt out overwintering spots. Fall pests can become a nuisance when they invade our homes through cracks in caulk, rips in screens, and under doors. To keep fall pests out make sure you check these areas, including your roof, for any damage or places where pests can gain entry. 

Tree and Shrub Care

Let’s not forget about our trees and shrubs. In the fall trees and shrubs will be storing energy for the winter. This makes fall a great time to fertilize your trees. The best method for fertilization is deep-root feeding. This is a method that involves injecting fertilizer at high pressure into the root system of your trees. This way the fertilizer gets to where it needs to be and fast. Another thing you need to consider is pest control. Trees are loved by many different insects and their feeding can cause a tree to decline. Insects such as aphids, scales, spider mites, and beetles can cause a lot of damage to your trees. In the fall, these insects lay their eggs on the bark of your trees and then overwinter themselves, making them easy targets for dormant oil. Dormant oil is a substance used by tree care experts to efficiently eliminate tree pests and their eggs before they can hatch. 

Hire The Weed Control Specialists At Warne Chemical & Equipment Company

If you’re looking for great weed control services in the Rapid City area, we’re the right ones for the job. Call Warne Chemical & Equipment Company, Inc. to set up an application and take the pressure off of you!

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