Palatine Park District
Menu
  • Register Online
      • Account Login
      • Register Online
      • Create a Household
      • District Feedback
      • Forms & Permits
      • Gift Cards
      • PRIDE Nominations
      • Program Catalog
      • Registration Information
      • Registration FAQs
    • Close
  • Programs & Events
      • Programs
      • Adult & Tot
      • Aquatics
      • Athletics
      • Camps
      • C.A.R.E.
      • Cultural Arts
      • Early Childhood
      • Fitness
      • Golf
      • Gymnastics
      • Horsemanship
      • Leagues
      • On Demand
      • Preschool
      • Youth & Teen
      • Upcoming Special Events
      • Calendar of Events
      • Sounds of Summer
      • Storytime In The Park
      • Turkey Trot
      • Community Organizations
      • Affiliate Organizations
      • Associated Organizations
      • Civic Organizations
      • Community Partners
    • Close
  • Facilities
      • Facilities
      • Facilities Overview
      • Birchwood Recreation Center
      • Clayson House Museum & Library
      • Combined Services Facility
      • Community Center
      • Community Fitness Center
      • Cutting Hall Performing Arts Center
      • Falcon Park Recreation Center
      • Fred P. Hall Amphitheater
      • Health and Recreation Center
      • Outdoor Pools
      • Palatine Hills Golf Course & Clubhouse
      • Preschools
      • Palatine Stables
      • Facility Activity Schedules
      • Gym, Track & Turf
      • Indoor Pool
      • #
      • Outdoor Aquatics Facilities
      • Birchwood Pool
      • Eagle Pool
      • Family Aquatic Center
      • #
      • Rentals, Parties & More
      • Interactive Map
      • Party Packages
      • Rental Opportunities
      • Forms & Permits
    • Close
  • Parks
      • Parks
      • Disc Golf Course
      • Dog Park
      • Field Conditions
      • Guide to Parks & Trails
      • Ice Rink Conditions
      • Lightning Detection
      • Outdoor Athletic Courts & Fields
      • Picnic Areas & Shelters
      • Skate Park
      • Rentals, Parties & More
      • Interactive Map
      • Field Rentals
      • Forms & Permits
      • Park & Shelter Rentals
    • Close
  • Community Involvement
      • Palatine Park Foundation
      • About the Foundation
      • Donations
      • Foundation Events
      • Living Tributes
      • Scholarships
      • Partner Program
      • Sponsorship & Advertising
      • Volunteer Program
      • Volunteer Opportunities
      • Volunteer Recognition
    • Close
  • Jobs at PPD
      • Current Job Openings
    • Close
  • District Information
      • About Us
      • District History
      • Join Our Mailing List
      • Mission & Values
      • Mobile App
      • Ordinances & Policies
      • Podcast
      • Program Catalog
      • Staff Committees
      • Staff Directory
      • Recent Articles
      • News Updates
      • Park Views Blog
      • #
      • Park Board
      • Board of Commissioners
      • Open Meetings Act
      • Policies of Public Input Protocol
      • Transparency Center
      • Bids & Proposals
      • Board Meeting Agendas & Minutes
      • Code of Conduct
      • Comprehensive Plan
      • Concussion Awareness
      • Construction Projects
      • Financial Reports
      • Freedom of Information Act
      • Weather Closings
    • Close

Fall Lawn Preparation Tips

October 3, 2018 / vweditor / Park Views

This time of year, I always think about what is coming in the landscape. Summer heat is done. We have the warm days and cool nights that are great for sleeping. We have the Autumn leaf colors to look forward to seeing.

The falling leaves and the cooler temperatures give us a great opportunity to prepare our lawns for next year. The leaves that are on your turf can cause a great deal of problems if you let them cover the turf all winter. One of the easiest and best things you can do with them is to run them over with your lawn mower. Use your lawn mower to grind them up into small pieces and evenly spread them in your turf. The small particles will work their way down to the soil and decompose. This adds free organic matter to your soil. The organic matter keeps the soil more resilient to weather extremes by helping with water storage and oxygen exchange. It also gives soil the soft “bounce” that you can feel walking on healthy soils. Mowing/mulching your leaves saves you the cost of disposing of them. When leaves are picked up by the city or disposal company, the leaves are composted and sold back to the public as vegetative compost. This is a very good additive to your gardens-but why give it away when you can DIY in your own yards! Don’t let piles of leaves or other debris sit over the grass for the winter, it can kill the grass beneath the pile.

Fall is also a great time to fertilize your yard. An excellent time to fertilize your lawn is on one of the nice days that come between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Even though your grass is not growing, it is still alive and will store the nutrients for use in the spring. You will get a very early and deep green lawn sooner than your neighbors!

About the Author • Corey Zak, CPRP

Corey Zak is the Palatine Park District’s Horticulture Manager. Cory has won awards for his designs and work. In recent years he has worked on making Palatine Park District landscape practices more pollinator friendly and helping to introduce plants to the public that are beneficial to pollinators as well as having ornamental qualities.

Horticulture

Facebook

YouTube

Palatine Park District

Stay Connected


TikTok

  
Contact Us

ppd@palatineparks.org

Administrative &
Registration Office

Community Center
250 E. Wood St.
Palatine, IL 60067
Phone: 847.991.0333

Registration Office

Birchwood
Recreation Center
435 W. Illinois Ave.
Palatine, IL 60067
Phone: 847.991.1960

Registration Office

Falcon Park
Recreation Center
2195 N. Hicks Rd.
Palatine, IL 60074
Phone:  847.202.5111

Illinois Distinguished Accredited Agency (2019-2024)

Copyright © 2021 Palatine Park District • Rentals • Privacy Policy • Site Map
powered by RecCentric