After months of friends and family walking on it during outdoor gatherings and the scorching summer heat, your lawn is ready for a break. With fall here and winter close behind, your yard is nearing hibernation time, and there are a few important steps you should take so it can better handle the coming changes.

Even if you spent the summer mowing your lawn improperly, if you take action now, your yard will return to life in the spring, looking better than ever. With some help from experts at Lowe’s and Scotts, we have the essential guide to have your lawn ready for winter.

1. The need for feed

Going to sleep for months without proper food would not bode well for anything, including your lawn. Ensuring it is properly nourished is vital to its health year-round, but especially in the fall and winter.

According to Matt Koch, the director of biotechnology, genetics and seed at Scotts, you want to apply two fall fertilizer feedings. Doing so can help strengthen the grass and repair the roots damaged by the summer heat. 

It’s also a great time to get rid of weeds before they go into hibernation. Applying a fertilizer like Scotts Turf Builder WinterGuard in early fall both feeds the lawn and kills weeds, so you’re ahead of the game come spring.

After about six to eight weeks, Koch suggests applying another fertilizer designed to support your lawn during winter so it can store energy for spring growth. He recommends doing this two to three weeks before the first expected frost.

2. Time for repairs

Overall, my lawn is in good shape. However, after some work I had done on my home, there are areas where the grass has been torn up. Fall is a great time to fix those spots and any other places in your yard where grass has died or if you just want to overseed for a more lush yard.

According to Lowe’s lawncare expert Brian Shaunfield, fall is the perfect time to reseed bare spots or aerate since lawns tend to receive less activity as the weather cools. This time of year doesn’t always have good rainfall, so you’ll need to be sure you are watering your seed frequently to help it get ready for the change of seasons.

Brian recommends using Scotts Turf Builder Rapid Grass to repair larger areas of your yard. This mix is also great for thickening up an already-established yard. For smaller patches, try Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Sun and Shade, which is designed to grow pretty much anywhere as long as it is properly cared for.

In yards that have been well-established or areas with a lot of traffic, the ground can become compacted, making it difficult for grassroots to grow properly. This is where aerating your lawn can be beneficial. There are several tools for this job, but a simple push aerator like the Gardenised Spike Lawn Aerator can take care of it just fine.

3. Keep mowing, but cut it shorter

During the heat of summer, when the rain stops coming down and the ground is dry, it’s a good idea to keep your lawn longer --around 4 inches. As the season changes to cooler temperatures and more favorable weather, we need to keep mowing the grass but make some alterations to how we mow.

Koch says it’s important to cut your grass to about 2 to 2.5 inches, but not all at once. Gradually lower your mower’s deck or program your robot lawnmower to cut shorter as it gets closer to winter. This helps reduce the risk of disease and allows the grass to store energy more effectively. However, cutting it too short has the opposite effect.

4. Rake it up

Fall is also when leaves on the trees begin to turn shades of orange, yellow and red. Eventually, that beautiful foliage will end up on the ground. While decaying leaves can act as a natural fertilizer, too much can be a problem.

When layers of fallen leaves become too thick, they can smother smaller plants and grass. Plus, an abundance of leaves on your patio is an excellent place for insects to build homes -- and you don’t want that near your home. 

Using a good leaf rake or leaf blower to clean up your leaves is a great way to get them off your delicate plants. If you have a good lawnmower that mulches, then mowing over your leaves to leave a thin layer on your lawn is ok, but too thick can be detrimental. These leaves can be combined with compost to act as a natural fertilizer and mulch to help warm some plants, like perennials and evergreen roots.