Fall Lawn Care

The weather's beginning to cool, and that means it's time to start preparing the yard for winter. Even if you live in warmer climes, the change of season brings changes to your lawn, such as slower growth. Anticipating and preparing for this change will keep your yard healthy year-round.

If you live in a part of the country that sees snow, it's time to clean and put away lawn furniture (except perhaps cedar furniture, which improves as it weathers). Store it in a place that is protected from water and extreme cold -- such as a tool shed or a corner of the garage -- and cover to protect from spills and dirt.
Wait until most of the leaves have fallen from the trees before raking them up -- it's no use trying to catch them early -- and add to the mulch pile.

Your lawn will probably need one or two mowings before winter sets in, but once that last session is done, lay out your gardening tools in the driveway and inspect them for damage. Clean away bits of grass and dirt from the blades and handles, and coat blades with an all-purpose lubricant like 3-in-1 oil. Wooden handles could use a thin coat of linseed oil, or at least make sure they're clean and dry.

Hang gardening tools vertically to store them (a pegboard with hooks is a good investment here). Prepare your lawnmower by draining the gas (store in a proper container away from other chemicals and heat sources), removing the spark plug, cleaning the underside and oiling the blades, and placing in a dry, out-of-the-way corner.

Now is a good time to dethatch and reseed bare spots in the lawn, just before the first hard frost. Cover the reseeded area with a light mulch mixture of dry grass clippings, straw and shredded leaves -- enough to keep birds from eating most of the seeds, while allowing shoots to poke through come spring.

HOME TIP: Plant bulbs (like tulips) now, before the first frost. They'll remain dormant until spring.

Send questions or home-repair tips to homeguru2000@hotmail.com, or write This Is a Hammer, c/o King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475.

(c) 2009 King Features Synd., Inc.