4 Fall Lawn Care Tips for El Paso, TX Homeowners

Fall may be a bit different in El Paso than it is in other parts of the country but there are still a few things to do to keep your lawn healthy. New growth will subside even though the weather is still warm but regular lawn care maintenance will need to be done to sustain a healthy and lush lawn to withstand the cooler weather.

Here are some tips to help you transition your lawn care from summer to fall in El Paso. 

1. Know Your Grass and Soil Variety

El Paso provides a unique situation when it comes to grass and soil varieties. To put it simply, the summers are hot and last longer than other geographic locations. The winter can get extremely cold as well, just not for as long as other places. You want to know how to differentiate between warm and cold weather grass types so you know exactly how to care for it. The soil in El Paso it tends to be more like sand and is very shallow. Meaning that it also doesn’t retain as much water as other types of richer soil.

Source: Don Lavange (CC BY-SA 2.0)

2. Pull Weeds and Rake

One of the first tasks at hand for preparing your lawn for fall is ridding it of any litter. Including, weeds, leaves, and any additional debris from plants. When removing the weeds, you’ll want to make sure that you are actually removing all the way down to the root. If you only cut the weeds then it will grow back almost instantly. Remove the entire weed so that you can assure it won’t return. Leftover weeds can actually prevent the lawn from “breathing” so they are also important to remove.

3. Apply Fall Fertilizer

Depending on what type of grass you have, you will want to consider doing a soil test on your lawn to see its level of nutrients. Once you perform the soil test, head to your local garden center or home improvement retailer and purchase the correct fertilizer for fall. Spread the granules onto your lawn with a manual spreader as needed. The fall fertilizer will make sure that your lawn maintains or regains all of the necessary nutrients to be protected from any colder winter temperatures and is ready for the spring. Also, be sure that you are using the correct fertilizer because a fertilizer for a different season will actually do more harm than good to your lawn.

Source: Michael Mol (CC BY 2.0)

4. Tend to Irrigation Systems

Fall is the perfect time to tend to your sprinkler systems and do any necessary work to them. Winterizing your sprinklers isn’t necessary for El Paso. Due to the pause in growth, you won’t be watering your lawn as much either. Repair any broken sprinkler heads as needed or call a professional to make sure your sprinklers are clear of any clogs.

Have questions about lawn care? Visit our El Paso lawn care page for more information.

Featured image source: Zillow