September Lawn Care Tips

As autumn edges closer, now is a prime time to repair and strengthen your lawn. For homeowners and landscapers, September is a pivotal month for restoring summer-worn turf, boosting lawn health, and making turf resilient for the colder months.

This guide combines our expert advice on lawn care tips for September, including aerating, fertilising, pest control, and overseeding, to set your lawn on a winning path through winter and into spring.

Content Overview

• Can I lay turf in September?
• View our natural turf products
• September lawn care tips
  • Mowing in September
  • Weed control
  • Leatherjacket control
  • Repairing & reseeding
  • Autumnal fertilising
  • Soil aeration
  • Garden tidy up
• Speak to the experts

Can I Lay Turf in September?

Absolutely! At GDT&S, we advocate that autumn is the best time to lay turf. This is because the weather conditions are perfect, with warm air temperatures, moist soil and minimal rainfall to avoid muddy footprints across your new lawn. Also, it’s often not too hot or cold for you to be working outside!

September also gives new natural turf enough time to settle into its new home, building a robust root system that will keep it healthy and resilient throughout the winter. If you install your fresh turf in early September, you should also be able to mow it a couple of times before winter arrives.

For the best results when laying turf, view our turf care guide and follow our Guide to Laying Turf, where there’s also a video from George himself.

View Our Range of Natural Turf

We have a wide range of natural grass turf products to suit any budget, style, garden or landscaping project.

Trident Turf

Clover Turf

Wild Flower Turf

RTF Turf

Shade Tolerant Turf

Species Rich Turf

September Lawn Care Tasks

1. Keep mowing if the weather allows

While the temperatures are still warm, your grass will keep growing. Continue mowing your lawn, but gradually raise the cutting height so that your grass blades are at least an inch tall. This extra height will help protect your soil from incoming frost, but not so tall that it becomes brittle and breaks.

Top Tip: You’ll begin to notice more dew on the surface of your lawn in September. The moisture is valuable for your turf, but to avoid churning up your grass, switch your mowing to the afternoon.

2. Final attack on weed control

As the weather starts to cool down, weed growth will also slow. However, now is the perfect time to target weed-prone areas, killing off the roots to prevent them from returning next spring. Whether removed by hand or with a weed remover, ensure the entire root is removed (not just the leafy part of the weed).

Apply weed killer and corner the area off to avoid animals coming into contact with it. Avoid using weed killer on dry, thin, or patchy turf, as this may cause further harm. Always read the instructions for your chosen weed killer application to ensure the best results.

3. Look out for Leatherjackets

September also means leatherjacket season! These lawn pests are crane fly larvae that burrow and grow underneath your soil. The problem with leatherjackets is that they feed on plant roots. If they eat your turf roots, your grass loses access to necessary food and nutrients, resulting in weak turf or potentially killing it off.

One way to avoid leatherjackets is to keep your grass short so they’re unable to burrow. You can also monitor your turf, and if you spot circular bald patches across your lawn, you may have a leatherjacket infestation. In these instances, rake and scarify the patches to remove the top layer of soil. Then apply an autumnal grass seed and high-quality topsoil to repair and regrow the area.

4. Repair bald or bare grass patches

After a stunning summer, your turf has handled a lot! Not only has there been an increase in footfall from children, pets, and entertainment, but also extreme heatwaves, drought, and in some instances, hosepipe bans. Your lawn goes through a lot in the summer, so don’t be surprised if areas look a little worn.

As we spend more time indoors, use this opportunity to assess your lawn and identify areas that require some TLC. If you notice brown, bare, thin, or dry patches of grass, these are the areas where overseeding will provide the most benefit.

Look for an autumnal grass seed that will provide your turf with the correct nutrients to regrow strong, resilient, and healthy grass, ready to face and survive the winter. Add a layer of high-quality topsoil to help keep your grass seed in place and encourage an even lawn.

5. Feed your lawn with Autumn fertilisers

September is the best time to give your turf the nutritional boost it needs! Autumnal lawn feeds, such as our Nourish Autumn/Winter Feed, are designed to restore your lawn from summer damage and prepare it for hibernation in the winter months. Autumn fertiliser will help protect your turf from the colder months and lawn diseases too, keeping it in optimum condition, ready for spring to roll around.

6. Soil aeration & drainage check

Soil compaction is a natural side effect of increased lawn usage. Along with dryer air temperatures and little rainfall, the soil under your turf will become quite solid. This means that oxygen, nutrients, and water struggle to penetrate and reach your roots. This is a particular concern as winter arrives, as your turf will not absorb what it needs to survive. More importantly, if water cannot drain, it will sit on the surface and potentially result in a soggy, waterlogged lawn.

Using an aerator, spiked shoes or a garden fork, work your way around your lawn, spiking holes into the earth. This will loosen the soil, breaking up compacted areas, and creating channels to feed the grass roots with water and oxygen, thereby nourishing them throughout the winter.

7. Tidy up for a smarter-looking autumnal garden

We’re lucky to still have a few warm, dry days in September. This is the ideal time for a general clean and tidy of your garden before putting it to bed. Start by trimming back any overgrown hedges or overhanging trees, deadheading summer flowers, and trimming the edges of your lawn.

Clear fallen debris and wash down garden furniture. Fix broken fences or structures, ensuring they’re strong enough to withstand incoming storms. If you’ve packed garden furniture away, you could also jet wash your patio or clean your decking, giving it a thorough clean after summer use and creating a nice view of your garden even during the duller months.

Speak to the Experts

To get the most from your lawn this autumn, follow our expert lawn care tips for September. If you have any further queries, visit our Turf University, or get in contact with our friendly team.

As your local turf experts, we’re here to guide you with the best landscaping materials, turf varieties, and seasonal advice. Are you a landscaper managing multiple projects and various materials? Explore our Trade Account for exclusive bulk deals and support to enhance your services.

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