The Northeast U.S. is famous for its spectacular fall foliage. Leaf peepers travel far and wide to take on the beautiful changing colors of the season and spot a kaleidoscopic variety of leave colors, from burnt orange and dark purple to yellow and bright red.

But the brightly colors of the leaves is not something you want to see on your lawn. Any sight of changing colors, brownish or yellowish spots, can be tell-tale signs of poor lawn care, disease, and most often lack of water or too much of it.

Even with cooler weather, water is still one of the most important aspects of your fall lawn care. Neglecting it is one of several mistakes people make as the seasons change.

Reduce the Watering, Gradually

Your lawn has survived the summer thanks to plenty of water and proper irrigation and care is still important from September to late November as it makes its way toward winter dormancy.

Cooler temperatures and ever shorter days in the fall prevent fast moisture evaporation, which means that your lawn doesn’t need to be watered as often, but you shouldn’t stop watering, just decrease it gradually. Continue to water your lawn a few times a week as the weather slightly warms from the chilly mornings and reduce it as freezing temperatures set in.

You also need to keep mowing the lawn, though less frequently than in the summer when growth is faster.

And you must rake the leaves. While beautiful, they can asphyxiate your grass and allow for mold and other problems to set in.

Don’t Postpone Repairs and Maintenance

Given that soon you won’t need your sprinkler system once snow starts coming down, this is the perfect time for maintenance, repairs, and general upkeep.

Irrigation system failures result in two main issues: wasted water and plant damage or loss. Water is wasted if there’s a leak or it goes where it shouldn’t. Plant damage or loss occurs when too much or too little reaches them. Either one is costly.

Things to look out for include persistent puddling or saturated areas, even when sprinklers are off. That may indicate a line break or the sprinkler rotors are not rotating properly. Another problem is wet driveways and dry lawns. This may mean sprinkler heads are obstructed or need adjustment.

Quench Irrigation technicians can make a detailed assessment of your irrigation system, adjust it, repair it, update it, and improve it. If you need a new system, we can design it based on your needs and space.

Don’t Leave it to the Un-professionals

A professionally-installed irrigation system can guarantee not only a beautifully lawn, but it can reduce your water bills and bring more traffic to your business.

If you are watering your commercial lawn on your own, you could be wasting too much water and water bills—as you know—add up quickly. Professional irrigation systems save you water and money by making sure every part of your lawn is watered completely and for the necessary amount of time, without incurring in over-watering.

Having professionals, like Quench Irrigation, install your irrigation system also ensures that any issues will be solved quickly and efficiently. Irrigation experts come prepared with every tool they may need to find a solution to unexpected problems. Professionals also have access to high-quality products and the right equipment for the project.

In addition, a pristine landscape year-round is a reflection of your business. Remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression and curb appeal is just as important as the product you offer. A properly maintained and lush front yard in your property is a reflection of your business and an invitation for your customers to come into a professional establishment.

Is it raining yet?

Many people neglect to pair their irrigation system with a rain sensor, that can help save them money and water. The sensors shut off irrigation system once an adequate amount of rain has accumulated, perfect for the fall when precipitation may come at unexpected intervals.

A rain sensor is simply a device that senses rain and communicates with your sprinkler timer to prevent it from coming on. Say you’re out of town or just unaware of the weather forecast, the rain sensor will prevent your irrigation system from operating and overwatering. This saves you money and troubles.

There are two main types: a rainfall collection cup that stops the sprinkle from turning on when the cup fills to a certain level, an expansion disk that operates with a disk inside the gauge attached to the sprinkler system that absorbs water and expands as rain falls.

Don’t Forget a Fall Blow-Out

A fall ‘blow-out’ to prevent any damage during the winter is a must.

Proper winterization involves removing all water from the irrigation system to help prevent freeze damage to the lines, valves, rotors, and heads. When water is left in the system during the winter, it will expand as it freezes, causing potential cracks or splits that will inhibit performance when used again.

Quench Irrigation technicians can help you avoid costly spring repairs by conducting a ‘blow-out’ where carefully controlled air pressure is applied to individual zones of your irrigation system until there is no water left in it.

Our trained experts can handle this process for you and make sure your system is in tip-top shape for when you need it again in the spring.