Gardeners are warned that there are a few common lawn maintenance mistakes to avoid in autumn that will stop grass from growing healthy and lush next year
15:48, 08 Sep 2025Updated 15:49, 08 Sep 2025
Maintaining your lawn demands only minimal effort thanks to this three tips(Image: Olga Rolenko via Getty Images)
Achieving a lush and vibrant green lawn is essential for creating a stunning garden. Yet numerous gardeners remain unaware that autumn presents the optimal opportunity to prepare their grass for the following year.
Experts from The Turf Grass Group have revealed that the “biggest mistake” they witness homeowners making during October and November involves neglecting their lawns entirely. As it will make it more difficult for the grass to survive the upcoming colder temperatures.
They explained: “Skipping any of your general lawncare treatments can risk damaging your lawn at its most vulnerable in the winter. For example, nutrients are incredibly important at this time of year, so fertilising one last time is vital.”
Neglecting grass care will result in it becoming fragile and losing its colour following winter, though fortunately maintaining your lawn only needs minimal effort.
Investing time in completing several swift gardening tasks and understanding which mistakes to sidestep will enable the lawn to develop greater strength, improved health and enhanced greenness when spring returns, reports the Express.
Invest time in completing several gardening tasks during the autumn(Image: Getty)Most significant lawncare error to prevent during autumnNeglecting to feed the lawn
Providing nutrients to the lawn stands as the most crucial gardening task during autumn, as the grass may be under strain following the intense summer heat.
Should the lawn fail to receive essential nutrients now that conditions have become more temperate, it’s doubtful it will possess sufficient strength to endure the winter months.
The specialists at Turf Grass Group explained: “The best way to help your lawn recover and prepare for the winter is to fertilise it. In fact, when you fertilise your lawn in the fall, you will reap the benefits next spring.
“Fertilising your lawn in the fall helps the grass to grow stronger roots. Thus, giving it a base to come back in the spring and thrive.”
Nevertheless, you don’t need to splash out on expensive lawn fertiliser as there are natural and straightforward ingredients that can be fed to the grass to maintain its health.
Overwatering or underwatering the lawn
Following summer the grass can be parched and still requires regular watering for it to regain its health, but excessive moisture in the soil during this period can draw pests or disease.
It can be challenging to determine how much water to provide the grass in autumn, but simply ensure you water it at least once a week.
You can also purchase a rain gauge that will make it far easier to determine when your lawn requires watering.
The specialists noted: “If you are used to your summer watering levels, make sure you adjust accordingly as the seasons change. If you overwater your lawn with unnecessary irrigation, your turf may become susceptible to disease.
“However, don’t stop watering altogether. Your lawn still needs about one inch of water per week, whether from rain or your sprinklers.”
Cutting the grass too short will make it less resilient against frost, disease or pests(Image: Getty)Trimming the grass too short
Mowing is clearly essential for lawn maintenance, but one of the most damaging errors a gardener can commit in autumn is trimming grass excessively short.
Grass retains energy within its blade, and cutting it too drastically will deplete this energy, rendering it considerably weaker and less resilient against frost, disease or pests.
The specialists explained: “You may be eager to give your lawn one last super short trim before the winter. However, cutting corners here could undo a whole lot of good lawn care you’ve invested time and money into already.
“When mowing your lawn, you should never cut off more than one-third of the grass blade.”
Set your mowing blades to ensure the grass remains at approximately three inches in height before winter, and also understand the optimal time to cease cutting the grass before winter, as trimming too late in autumn will likewise harm the lawn.
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