The shorter days and crisp temperatures that signal the start of fall are upon us, and there is no better time to take stock of your lawn and landscaping as you prepare for winter. Tackling a few lawn and home care activities now can pay long-term dividends.

Plan your fall planting. Landscapers agree that fall is the best season for planting trees, shrubs and perennials, as well as the ideal time of the year to fertilize grass lawns, especially in the cooler climates. Many nurseries and garden centers put plants on sale in the fall and most of them will be good-sized plants with a full season of growth behind them, so take advantage of the savings by getting started early.

Plants planted in the fall benefit from cooler air temperatures, not to mention soil temperatures still warm enough to support good root growth. After a winter of dormancy, fall-planted trees and shrubs practically shoot out of the soil the following spring.

• Take stock of your lawn. Fall also is a great time for new grass seed to take root, so consider reseeding in selected areas. Reseeding also eliminates areas for weeds to grow in the spring. Fertilize your lawn one more time with a high nitrogen fertilizer to encourage root growth. Look for a lawn fertilizer labeled "winterizing."

It’s also a good idea to rake leaves and debris off your lawn in the fall. Put some muscle into it and rake out any areas where heavy thatch has built up.

Cut your lawn one last time after it has stopped growing, but before the first snow. Adjust your mower setting to cut your lawn to about one inch. Lawn care experts suggest doing the final mowing with a bagger to pick up cut grass, stray leaves and other debris.

• To aerate or not to aerate? Lawn aeration involves the removal of small soil plugs or cores out of the lawn. Aerators typically extract 1/2 to 3/4 inch diameter cores of soil and deposits them on your lawn to allow air, moisture and fertilizer to penetrate down to the root zone.

Even with meticulous care, lawns can thin out and lose color due to excessive thatch buildup, hard or compacted soils, or periods of high temperature, high humidity, or drought. According to The Lawn Institute, more than two-thirds of American lawns are growing on compacted soils. These soils slowly reduce the amount of oxygen contained in the soil, thus retarding the penetration of both water and nutrients. Aerating and overseeding is recognized by experts as the best treatment to control thatch, reduce compaction, fill-in bare spots and revitalize growth. Here are the key benefits:
• Loosens compacted soil and increases the availability of water and nutrients.
• Enhances oxygen levels in the soil, stimulating root growth and enhancing the activity of thatch-decomposing organisms.
• Reduces water runoff.
• Increases the lawn’s drought tolerance and improves its overall health.

The type of grass will determine whether to aerify in the fall or in the summer. Lawns composed of cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass are best aerified in the fall, when there is less heat stress and danger of invasion by weedy annuals. On the other hand, warm-season grasses are best aerified in late spring and summer, when they are actively growing.

While lawn care and landscaping routinely top the "honey-do" lists for fall, there are other home maintenance chores that will help ensure a warm and happy winter. Check out www.nahb.org for more on home care.

(Jeff Waddle, who is Project Manager/Atlanta for David Weekley Homes, is president of the Home Builders Association of Midwest Georgia, which serves a membership of approximately 650 builders and associate members in Fayette, Coweta, Spalding, Meriwether, Heard, Pike, Upson, Lamar, Butts and Jasper counties.)

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