Fall Lawn Care and Water Conservation Tips

Part of having a beautiful yard in the spring and summertime involves taking care of it during the colder months. If your lawn is properly winterized, it has a better shot at surviving the colder temperatures and it will be more likely to flourish when spring arrives.

Keep your lawn healthy by following this advice:
Fertilize your lawn in early fall. Fall fertilization is important so your lawn will have nutrients to feed off during the winter months. In consideration of the environment, look for green products and NEVER over-fertilize. Read all package labels and directions thoroughly.

Aerate your lawn in the fall for good root development. Aeration allows for air, moisture, and fertilizer to travel to the roots of the grass more efficiently over the winter and allow the turf to be thicker in the spring.

Just because temperatures are cooling, that doesn’t mean you should stop mowing and watering your lawn. Grass should be mowed until it stops growing and keep your grass 2 to 2-1/2 inches tall. Watering is important to sustain growth – lawns need about an inch of water a week to thrive. Here are some tips that will help with water conservation when on watering your lawn:

• Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street

• Minimize evaporation by watering during the early morning hours, when temperatures are cooler and winds are lighter.

• Only water your lawn when needed. You can tell this by simply walking across your lawn. If you leave footprints, it's time to water.

• Water your summer lawns once every three days and your winter lawn once every five days.

• Install a rain shut-off device on your automatic sprinklers to eliminate unnecessary watering.

• Use drip irrigation for shrubs and trees to apply water directly to the roots where it's needed.

• Remember to check your sprinkler system valves periodically for leaks and keep the heads in good shape.

• Don't water your lawn on windy days. After all, sidewalks and driveways don't need water.

• Adjust your watering schedule each month to match seasonal weather conditions and landscape requirements.

Source: angieslisttips.com
Source:wateruseitwisely.com

Outdoor Rugs Can Warm Up a Patio

Looking for a way to warm up that new patio? Do you need an extra splash of color to finish that new outdoor space? Consider adding an outdoor rug. With the current design trend of utilizing outdoor space as an extension of your home’s living space, the array of choices in products such as outdoor rugs has exploded.

These rugs are available in as many sizes and shapes as indoor rugs. This versatility lets you be truly creative with furniture layouts and styles. Rugs in an outdoor space add not only beauty, but also functionality. Besides warming up a cold stone or concrete patio, they offer protection against spills and stains on those costly hard surfaces.

Outdoor rugs are available in several material choices. Bamboo is a natural choice for floor coverings because it is environmentally friendly, durable, and aesthetically pleasing. Bamboo rugs are popular for the outdoors. Durable and weather resistant, they suit a natural theme. They will, however, require slightly more care than a synthetic rug. Direct sunlight can fade bamboo products so a covered porch or sun porch is a great location for bamboo rugs. In addition, excessive moisture can lead to mold and mildew developing on a bamboo outdoor rug. If mold does develop, simply dip a cloth into a very dilute bleach mixture and wipe the mold away.

Another option for material selection is polypropylene. A highly durable plastic product, polypropylene is a natural choice for exterior applications. The plastic is pulled into strands and either machine or hand woven for a traditional carpet look. The best type of weaving for this fiber is a tight loop form. These rugs are available in many colors and patterns to complement any décor. Cleaning is a breeze for this type of rug. A simply hosing or a scrub with a mild soap will clean up almost all spills and stains.

With such a wide variety available, anyone can find a beautiful complement to there patio décor with and outdoor rug.

Source: outdoorgardenfurniture.com
Photo Credit: outdoorrugsonly.com

All sprinkler systems should be winterized when not in use during the cold winter months. You must make sure your water supply is turned off and that all water that could freeze and cause damage is drained from all components.

Valves will never be completely free of water, so they may need to be removed, dried out and then stored. You may need to do the same with your sprinkler heads.

It can be a complicated process and if you search the Internet for how-to instructions you will get links with volumes of information. It's normal to feel a sense of uncertainty about doing it yourself and perhaps damaging your investment. Talk to an expert in the irrigation business. Usually, the easiest way to winterize your irrigation system is to let an irrigation contractor do it.

Just make sure it gets done before the temperatures hit freezing!