You can’t tell by walking outside, but summer is over. September 22 is the first day of autumn, and that means it’s time to get your yard ready for a Florida fall.

Fall is feeding time for your lawn.

Look out for the lawn

These are the months that you feed your lawn for the last time for the year. If you plan on doing the fertilizer yourself, be sure to pick one with little to no phosphorus. In the fall, it’s best to put one down with controlled-release nitrogen, this will get you the long-lasting results that you want.

If you live in a county with a fertilizer ban, the restrictions are expired or should be soon, now that the rainy season is coming to an end. Most of the bans end on September 30 at the latest. Each county has different rules, so check your county’s website for details on the fertilizer ban for your neighborhood.

The battle against weeds and bugs that are out to wreck your lawn isn’t over yet. Apply herbicides to control winter weeds. The best time to do that is at night when the temperatures are between 55-60. And keep an eye out for insect damage, armyworms, chinch bugs, mole crickets, and sod webworms are still out there.

Double danger

When fighting pests and weeds, avoid any product sold as a ‘weed and feed.’ These products claim to be both a pesticide and herbicide, but in reality, they are a double dose of danger. They are some of the most toxic chemicals legally sold. Besides damaging the environment, the granular form has been known to cling to clothes and shoes. The next thing you know the chemicals are in your kitchen and living room. And long-term, ‘weed and feeds’ are bad news for the overall health of your lawn.

Now that rainy season is ending, it's time to make sure your irrigation system is ready for the fall.

Irrigation inspection

How’s your irrigation system? Your sprinklers may not have been on much during our unusually wet summer. It's the perfect time to make sure all your zones are working, and heads are pointing in the right directions. If they’re not, your landscape may be in trouble.

If you would rather sip pumpkin spice lattes and spend your weekends watching football instead of working in the yard, you know who to call. Hope you have a great start to your fall.