Overview

• Plan the final lawn cut before the first frost on a dry day, set the height to 4–5 cm, and avoid mulching the last mow.
• Clear fallen leaves from turf regularly to prevent light loss and fungal issues, then use the leaf litter as mulch on beds or in wildlife-friendly piles.
• Scarify only lightly with blades scoring 2–3 mm, then reseed bare spots in early to mid‑October while soils remain near or above 10 °C.
• Apply a potassium‑rich autumn fertilizer by mid‑October to boost cold hardiness, and skip nitrogen that would spur vulnerable late growth.
• Protect frost‑sensitive plants and containers—mound roses 15–20 cm and insulate or move pots—then clean and oil tools, store robotic mowers dry above about 5 °C, and drain irrigation lines.