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I am excited about sharing this post with you today. These are our chemistry secrets for super CHEAP and easy fall lawn care tips!

This is a post I have been compiling and working on for years.

You can ask my husband, but the minute we bought our home almost four years ago, I became a lawn fanatic lol. I wanted to find the easiest ways to take care of my lawn that weren’t expensive.

Some things I have done have been pretty ridiculous, but I am only sharing the good and easy lawn tips with you today!

Taking care of your lawn in the fall will make your life much easier in the spring!

Cheap and Easy Fall Lawn Care Tips

Rake Leaves

When the leaves start to fall, they can litter your lawn. Leaves are so pretty, but they can suffocate grass. Especially when the mornings are damp, the leaves also get damp.

You can actually add your leaves to flower beds for a nice source of carbon, and a light mulch in winter. More on this tip later (and some very exciting news to go with it!).

Remove Any Other Debri

Acorns, pecans, branches, and anything else that can start to fall this time of year needs to be removed. Last year we had an abundance of acorns in the backyard. It was overwhelming. I picked up as many as I could, but there was one area near our wall I didn’t get too.

In the spring, no grass came back there because of all the acorns. It is the same reasons as mentioned above with the leaves, it can suffocate grass, hindering it from growing.

Aerate your Lawn

I have clay soil which gets VERY compacted especially in high traffic areas. Aerating your lawn allows the soil to breathe and oxygen to get to roots.

I noticed a huge difference aerating in the fall for spring growth.

Depending on what size lawn you have, you can purchase a cheap tool to do this. I bought these aeration shoes!

I walked the entire lawn in the back area, then part of the lawn in the front that gets high traffic areas. The grass has been so thick in those areas now!

P.S – my husband thought I was crazy when I put these shoes on and started walking the lawn LOL, but he loved how much It helped the grass and soil.

Overseed Thin Areas

I spoke with a lawn guy a few years ago, and he recommended I overseed thinning areas in the fall.

You can purchase a seed/mulch combo to spread over areas. Rake it out evenly, then water every few days. Make sure it stays water for about 2-3 weeks to ensure proper growth.

Overseeding can also be done in the spring, but the lawn experts I spoke with in our area said Fall is even better.

My lawn is Bermuda grass, so I buy the Bermuda seed mixture.

Chemist Note: If you apply any pre emergent herbicide, mentioned below, make sure to ask your local lawn care guide when to overseed. Depending on the climate, this might need to be done before or after.

Water

In the fall, many people stop watering as grass goes dormant. Watering is actually beneficial for grass and soil up until it starts freezing. This keeps the roots healthy and protects them from harsh winter weather.

Below is my lawn in early fall.

Fertilize

I use this homemade lawn fertilizer in the spring AND in the fall. Since we have very hot weather in the summer here in Texas, I never fertilize during the summer months. I pick it back up in October when we start getting 80 degree weather.

Fertilizing in the fall will help your grass stay healthy and nourished during winter, then come back healthier in the spring.

I prefer to use my homemade lawn food because it is very mild, and does more than just help the grass grow. The beneficial bacteria it contains is great for the soil. Store-bought fertilizers can damage healthy bacteria in the dirt overtime, but this solution feeds the soil as well as grass. Since it is so mild, you can apply every few weeks in the fall while temperatures are above 55 degrees (make sure you are watering too).

Mow

Keeping your lawn at a good height is important even in the fall. We made the mistake many years ago not mowing much in the fall because we got busy, and this allowed the weeds to grow more and the grass didn’t come back as thick in the spring.

Mowing the lawn will also allow sunlight to feed the grass up until it goes dormant. If you don’t mow, grass can get too tall and weeds can start growing thicker.

We keep our Bermuda grass a little taller in the summer during hot, dry weather. In the fall, we drop the blade down one notch it keep it shorter especially through the winter.

Apply Pre-emergent

If you use any type of pre-emergent for weeds, it can be used in the fall which will be very helpful when spring rolls around.

We make sure to apply it before it freezes. I follow this local Texas guide for time periods on application. Make sure to find your local information so you apply pre-emergent at the correct time.

This is a great article explaining Pre-emergent in the fall.

If chemicals concern you, make sure to use an organic herbicide for lawn. You can find this at your garden store.

DO NOT use our homemade weed killer which can harm grass. This will kill everything! You can use this in patio rocks, cracks, or areas you want to clear out.

Hand Pull Weeds

I have used organic herbicides for pre-emergent, but I also hand pull weeds as often as I can. If you keep up with it, it doesn’t get overwhelming.

This is my favorite tool to use.

Remember to check with your county extension agent on dates and times to apply these tips! Each zone will vary a little bit when it comes to these easy fall lawn care tips.

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