Lawns and Landscaping

Don't retire the lawn mower when the growth of your lawn slows down this fall. As long as the grass continues to grow, it should be mowed.

• October is a good time to aerate your lawn. This will relieve compacted soils allowing air and water to reach the roots. You can rent a machine or do the job by hand with a tool made for this purpose. If you buy a hand tool, make sure it is the type that lifts out a plug, poking holes in the ground is not enough.
  
  
• Create a pleasant mini-climate around your house by planting trees and shrubs. The air is noticeably cooler around a house surrounded by tall, leafy trees than in a treeless yard.
  
  
• Turf grown on acid soil has been found more susceptible to winter kill, more prone to injury from applications of chemicals, and less reliable under adverse climatic conditions. To prevent such problems, have your soil tested regularly and apply lime when the need is indicated.
• Leaves from heavily wooded gardens can be beneficial to the garden and should not be burned or discarded. Instead, put them through a shredder and use as a mulch or add to your compost pile.
  
  
• Remove leaves from lawn to reduce lawn problems. Compost them or save them for next year's mulch.