Autumn Lawn Care: Laying Turf & Preparing for Autumn

Autumn is one of the most rewarding times of year for lawn care. It is also not optimised enough by landscapers or homeowners!

Whether you’re laying new turf or maintaining an existing lawn, a little autumnal prep now will pay off beautifully come spring. In this article, we’ll explain why autumn turf care is essential, why it’s the best time to lay turf, and the main lawn tasks you should be completing.

Content Overview

• Why autumn lawn care is important
• Can you lay turf in autumn?
• View our range of turf
• Lawn care tasks in autumn
• Speak to the experts

Why Autumn Lawn Care Is Important

Autumn provides the perfect conditions for prime lawn care! The air temperature cools, but the soil stays warm, and moisture levels increase – all essential conditions for turf health, growth and root development.

Grass also continues to grow in autumn, allowing for any last-minute turf repairs before it becomes dormant for winter. Although grass continues to grow, weeds fall back. This again makes turf repairs easier as new grass blades are not competing against weeds for space.

Can You Lay Turf In Autumn?

Absolutely! At GDT&S, we actively encourage people to lay their turf in autumn over any other month.

Successful Ground Preparation for New Turf

1. Clear the Area – Remove weeds, stones, debris and any existing turf.
2. Improve Your Soil – Mix in highly-nutritious topsoil to improve the soil’s structure and drainage properties.
3. Level & Firm – You want a flat, even and sturdy foundation for a good turf/soil connection.

Laying Turf in Autumn

Our article on Can You Lay Turf in Autumn and How to Lay Turf provides a more in-depth guide on successful turfing, along with a video tutorial from George! However, here is a quick step-by-step guide for laying turf in Autumn:

1. Lay Promptly – For the best results and quality, always lay your fresh turf as soon as it’s delivered. With GDT&S, we’ll deliver your turf wherever you need it, to save time.
2. Stagger Your Rolls – Aim for a brick wall pattern when laying your turf rolls. Make sure you press the ends and seams together as you go so the joints knit together tightly.
3. Use Walking Boards – To avoid muddy footprints or indentations in your new turf, use wooden boards to distribute your weight evenly as you walk across new turf.
4. Water Thoroughly – Even in autumn, new turf needs plenty of water to encourage the roots to take hold. Our guide on How Often Should You Water New Turf can help you out.

View Our Range of Grass Turf

• Trident Turf
• RTF Turf
• Shade Tolerant Turf
• Wild Flower Turf
• Clover Turf
• Species-Rich Turf

To make sure you’re ordering enough turf for your landscaping project, use our helpful turf calculator.

What Should I Do To My Lawn in Autumn?

These top autumn lawn care tasks will benefit new and existing lawns. Allowing them to survive the winter and be ready to bloom come spring!

Remove Fallen Leaves

Wet leaves and dense leaf coverage can block essential oxygen and sunlight from reaching your grass. They can also trap moisture, causing the risk of lawn diseases. Our articles on Will Fallen Leaves Damage Your Lawn and The Ultimate Guide to Lawn Fungus & Disease can provide more insights.

Scarify Your Lawn

Scarifying refers to removing thatch from your turf. Thatch is a layer of natural debris, weeds, dead plants, fallen leaves, etc., that can sit on the surface of your turf. If left, it can prevent water, sun and oxygen from reaching your grass roots and harming your lawn’s performance, appearance and overall health. Keep on top of the thatch to keep on top of your turf!

Aerate Compacted Areas

After a full-on summer, the soil can naturally harden and compact. This will prevent oxygen and water absorption, potentially causing turf issues such as waterlogging. Use a garden rake to spike holes in compacted areas to improve your soil and turf’s health.

Feed for the Season

Grass fertilisers are formulated to protect and strengthen your turf or to encourage healthy growth. Autumn is all about settling down for winter. So, look for autumn/winter-based fertilisers like our Nourish fertiliser, which will support your turf throughout the colder months.

Keep Mowing

As long as the weather remains warm, your grass will continue to grow. So, keep cutting! However, as we move closer to winter, now’s the time to raise the height of your mower blade. Taller grass blades will help protect your lawn through winter, but if you leave your grass too tall, it risks becoming frozen, brittle and breaking.

To get the most from your mowing, read our handy mowing guides: What Height Should I Mow My Lawn and The Importance of Mowing.

Repair Worn Grass

Because your grass is still growing, there’s time to repair any post-summer damage. Dry patches, bald patches, or stressed-out grass can be given some TLC and have plenty of time to recover before winter. Applying high-quality grass seed can help repair struggling grass, while topsoil can help improve soil structure and nutrient levels for stronger turf.

We have a library of guides, advice and tips on how to repair your lawn. No matter your turf concern, we have the solution:

• Revive Your Lawn: Solutions for Dealing with Dry Grass
• How to Fix Dry Grass and Brown Spots on Your Lawn
• Is Your Turf Stressed?
• What is the Best Type of Topsoil?

Speak to the Experts

If in doubt, the team at GDT&S are here to help! Get in touch to discuss the best turf options for your landscaping project, how to lay turf successfully or maintain your lawn throughout autumn.

For landscapers, we know autumn can be a busy time! Why not make things easier by sourcing premium turf or stone products and precise delivery slots with our Trades Account?

Helpful Guides

• Grass Seed vs Turf: What is Best?
• Does Frequent Mowing Thicken Grass
• Can Fertilising Turf in Winter Help?