Spring Gets the Glory, But Fall Does the Work

Why Autumn Is the Most Important Season for Your Family Yard

While many homeowners view fall as the wind-down period for outdoor care, autumn is the most critical window to build lawn health, protect landscapes and lay the groundwork for a beautiful yard next year. The TurfMutt Foundation, which advocates for the care and use of green spaces like backyards and public parks, urges homeowners to put a little work into their yards this fall that will pay big dividends next spring.

“Spring gets the spotlight when it comes to yard work, but lawn and landscaping work in fall pays off exponentially,” said Kris Kiser, President and CEO of the TurfMutt Foundation. “Take a few strategic steps now to set up your outdoor space for a stunning comeback next spring.”

To help homeowners maximize this foundational season, the TurfMutt Foundation offers this fall yard checklist:

• Aerate the Soil: Aerating opens up compacted soil, allowing air, water and nutrients to penetrate deep into root systems. Stronger roots help grass endure winter dormancy and bounce back faster in the spring.
• Overseed Thin Spots: Warm soil paired with cool air and autumn moisture creates the perfect environment for seed germination. Overseeding now fills in bare patches and builds a dense, resilient lawn that crowds out spring weeds.
• Adjust Mower Heights: While you need to continue mowing until the first hard frost, you’ll want to drop the mower blade down for the last cut of the season. A shorter mow helps prevent winter fungal growth like snow mold and allows the lawn to dry out more efficiently come spring.
• Mulch Fallen Leaves: Skip the leaf bags and mulch leaves directly into the lawn using your mower. Shredded leaves break down naturally, returning valuable organic matter and nutrients to the soil.
• Maintain Smart Fall Watering: Grass, trees and shrubs need roughly one inch of water per week through autumn to build up hydration reserves before the ground freezes.
• Inspect for Hazardous Pruning: Walk your property to inspect trees and large shrubs for dead, damaged or low-hanging branches. Removing compromised limbs now protects your property from damage caused by heavy winter ice and snow.
• Plant Native Perennials, Shrubs, and Bulbs: Autumn’s cool air and warm soil make it the ideal season to plant native trees, shrubs and perennials. This gives plants a massive headstart on root establishment before summer heat returns. (Pro tip: Consult the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map to select options best suited for your microclimate.)
• Protect Wildlife Habitat: Nature starts right at your back door. Leaving plant stalks, native grasses and seed heads intact provides essential shelter and food sources for birds, pollinators and local wildlife during the colder months.

For more tips on “backyarding” all year long, visit www.turfmutt.com.

About the TurfMutt Foundation

TurfMutt, which celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2024, was created by the Outdoor Power Equipment Institute’s (OPEI) TurfMutt Foundation and has reached more than 70 million children, educators and families since 2009. The Foundation is title sponsor of “Lucky Dog,” the Emmy Award-winning CBS broadcast television show in support of dog rescue and rehabilitation. Both TurfMutt spokesdogs have been rescue dogs, and Mutt Mulligan is a cast character on the show, where her “Mulligan Minute” segments teach viewers about the benefits of green space. In 2024, the Great Lawn at Louisville’s award-winning Waterfront Park on the Ohio River was renamed the TurfMutt Foundation Great Lawn as part of a $1 million sponsorship. Championed by Mulligan the TurfMutt, and through education partners such as Scholastic, Discovery, Weekly Reader, and the USBGC Global Learning Lab, TurfMutt has taught students and teachers how to “save the planet, one yard at a time.” TurfMutt has been an education resource at the U.S. Department of Education’s Green Ribbon Schools, the U.S. Department of Energy, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Green Apple, the Center for Green Schools, the Outdoors Alliance for Kids, the National Energy Education Development (NEED) project, Climate Change Live, Petfinder and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2017, the TurfMutt animated video series won the coveted Cynopsis Kids Imagination Award for Best Interstitial Series. More information at www.TurfMutt.com.