Fall is quietly the most important lawn season in Ontario. What you do in September and October decides what greens up in May. The checklist, in order:
1. September: feed the roots
Early fall is when cool-season grass builds roots. If you fertilize once a year, this is the one — the reasoning is in our fertilizing schedule.
2. Aerate and overseed
Early fall is also the single best window for core aeration and overseeding in Guelph: warm soil, cool air, reliable rain, and a full autumn for new grass to root before winter.
3. Keep mowing until growth stops
Grass keeps growing until sustained frost, often into early November here. Drop the final cut slightly — around 2.5 inches — so the lawn doesn’t mat under snow, which invites snow mould.
4. Deal with the leaves — actually deal with them
A light scattering can be mulch-mowed into the turf and it’s good for the soil. A thick wet blanket left over winter smothers grass and shows up in April as dead patches. Our fall cleanup clears lawns, beds and hard surfaces, and we haul everything away.
5. Last call for bed work
Cutting bed edges and weeding in October means spring starts two weeks ahead. It’s also the easiest time of year to see a bed’s real shape.
One visit can cover the whole list. Book a fall cleanup before the calendar fills.