Drive through Marshfield or Middleborough this week, and you’ll see it. Inflatable pumpkins. Skeletons hanging off porch railings. Somebody always goes all in with a fog machine.
Spooky is great in October. Spooky grass? Not so much.
Take a quick walk around your yard. Maybe there’s a bald spot by the swing set that’s been there since July. Maybe the corner by the driveway turned the color of a paper bag and never came back. Or the clover finally won. Honestly, we hear about all three every single week this time of year. Our summer was rough on grass around here (dry stretches, heat, the usual), and October is when the bill comes due.
Right now is when you can fix it. Lawn Squad of Southeastern Massachusetts does a lot of rescue work in the fall, and we’d love to help yours.
What’s Lurking Out There?
The bald spots. Kids, dogs, and a hot August will do it every time. Leave them bare over the winter and guess who moves in come April? Crabgrass. Weeds don’t wait for an invitation.
Grass you can roll up like a rug. Grab a brown patch and tug. If it lifts right off with almost no roots, you’ve probably got grubs chewing away underneath. Skunks figure this out before most homeowners do, which is why some yards look like someone went at them with a garden claw overnight. Our grub control services are built for exactly this mess.
Weeds with an attitude. Funny thing about dandelions in fall. They’re busy pulling food down into their roots for winter, so whatever you treat them with goes down there too. That’s why our fertilization and weed control visits pay off big this time of year.
Weird rings and blotches. Chilly, wet October nights are basically a spa day for lawn fungus. Not sure what you’re looking at? Ask. We’ll come out, take a look, and tell you straight whether you need disease control or just a little patience.
Ground like a parking lot. Push a screwdriver into your lawn. Does it fight you? That’s compaction, and roots hate it as much as the screwdriver does.
Fall Is Comeback Season
Cool-season grass is a little odd. It sulks all summer, then perks up the second the nights get crisp. The soil’s still holding onto some summer warmth, so roots keep growing even when you’re pulling sweaters out of the attic.
With this in mind, what is worth doing before Thanksgiving?
Aerate, then seed. Core aeration pulls out little plugs of soil (yes, they look like goose droppings, and yes, they break down on their own). Seed dropped into those holes gets great soil contact. Want details? Here’s our aeration and overseeding page. One heads-up: the seeding window gets tight once we’re into late October, so call sooner rather than later.
Feed it before the deadline. In Massachusetts, fertilizer can’t go down from December 1st through March 1st. A fall winterizer before then gives the roots something to snack on all winter, and you’ll notice the difference when everyone else’s lawn is still brown in April.
Sweeten the soil. Lots of our soil runs on the acidic side, especially the sandy stuff near the water in Wareham, Plymouth, and down toward Westport. Lime helps fix that. Otherwise, your grass is sitting on a buffet it can’t eat.
Don’t let leaves bury it. A soggy mat of oak leaves left until spring is a recipe for snow mold and dead spots. Should you mulch or bag? We dug into it in our post on mulching versus leaf removal.
Keep mowing (sorry). And skip the buzz cut on the last mow. Our fall mowing guide covers how short to go.
Pick Your Potion: The VitaminLawn Program
We built VitaminLawn in three levels because no two yards in this region have the same problems. A shady lot in Norwell isn’t fighting the same battle as a sunny corner lot in Fall River.
Essential handles the basics. Fertilizer, broadleaf weed control, crabgrass pre-emergent, grub prevention, surface insect control, root stimulant, fall winterizer.
Pro is what most of our customers choose. You get all of Essential, then we add limestone and liquid aeration in the spring.
Elite is the whole enchilada. Everything in Pro, then we come back in fall for core aeration, overseeding, and seed enhancement.
Every level includes unlimited service calls. Something pops up between visits? We come back. Our prices are affordable, and we don’t do surprise fees. (Comparing us to another company? Our post on reading a lawn care estimate will help you compare apples to apples.)
We Live Here Too
We are the Laferrieres, and we own Lawn Squad of Southeastern Massachusetts. We grew up here, we’re raising three boys here, and we’ve spent more than a decade running a local business. So, when a nor’easter dumps salt spray on your front yard, we get it.
You’ll find our trucks in Plymouth, New Bedford, Taunton, Hingham, Bridgewater, Dartmouth, and dozens of towns in between. Don’t take our word for it, though. Read what your neighbors say in our reviews.
Leave the Scary Stuff to the Front Porch
Trick-or-treaters should be the most frightening thing on your lawn this year. Not the grass.
Give us a call at 774-295-1455, or grab a free quote online. Questions first? Our FAQs probably have you covered.
Winter’s coming whether we like it or not. Let’s get your lawn ready for it.
