Fall in the Shores is a beautiful time of the year

By: Pam Hoover, Lake Management Committee

Fall is here! Keeping our Lake healthy is a year-round pursuit. Use these tips to do your part for our Lake and improve your property at the same time!

Seasonal Lawn Care Tips

Mow grass to 2”-2.5” in the fall. Shorter grass has trouble storing energy for spring growth, and taller grass forms a mat over the winter.

September is the best time to treat common lawn weeds such as dandelions and clover.

Get the PHOSPHORUS out! Most lawns in this area have adequate soil phosphorus and remain healthy without adding more. You may only need to use fertilizer with phosphorus on your lawn if:

• A soil test shows a need for phosphorus
• A new lawn is being established

Collect and compost leaves and grass clippings to haul them away from the lake. The Village Compost Site on Rt. 6 is open during daylight hours on weekends (call Village office or see website for updates).

Rake up aquatic plants, leaves, and other organic matter on the shore land and dispose away from the lake.

Collect and dispose of pet waste away from the lake, if it enters the lake it can jeopardize water quality and increases risk of serious health issues.

Reduce Lawn Area

Reducing your total area of lawn could result in cost savings and less work in the long run.

Consider converting some lawn area to planting beds with attractive native vegetation. These areas require less water and no mowing. Areas that need to be  reseeded each year are good candidates.

Install a raingarden to capture excess runoff from impervious surfaces.

Seed steeper areas with a low-grow grass mix that requires less mowing and helps to prevent erosion.

Water Conservation

Your lawn needs only about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall, to remain green all season long. If you are using more than this, you could be throwing money out the window (and onto the lawn). Here are some tips to save money and conserve water as you prepare your lawn for the winter:

• Stop watering in October. This depends on the temperature, but generally, you shouldn’t need to water past mid-October.
• Use a rain gauge. Determine when you’ve reached 1 inch for the week.
• Aerate and dethatch to improve water and nutrient penetration into the lawn.

With a few simple lifestyle and landscape changes, we can continue to improve our water quality and remain good stewards of Lake Roaming Rock.

BE LAKE RESPONSIBLE