Outdoor Halloween Decorations That Won’t Damage Your Turfgrass

Halloween is right around the corner, which means, it’s time to start getting out the end of year decorations. However, if you just overseeded your lawn for the fall, you’re probably wondering how you can decorate without damaging your newly seeded lawn. Before you get out the graveyard scene and inflatable pumpkins, consider how you can protect your newly overseeded turf from damage by taking a more strategic approach to decorating this year.There are a variety of options for Halloween lawn decorations that will preserve the health of your turfgrass.

Start by having a plan for your Halloween decorations. Take precaution when using large inflatable devices and try to go natural by minimizing the use of artificial décor. To help, we’ve provided some more details on these topics below.

Creative Halloween Lawn Decoration Ideas

Instead of placing the main features of your decorations in the middle of your lawn, decorate your door and exterior instead. Use festive stakes, jack-o-lanterns or other lights to create borders along the edge of your grass. Then, clear walkways of any leaves and debris so there’s always a clear, well-lit pathway for kids to follow. By guiding trick-or-treaters directly to your front door and not through your yard, you’ll minimize foot traffic.

You can also create dimension with your Halloween decorations by hanging things from trees instead of planting them in your lawn. Finding lightweight objects, such as lights, cobwebs and other hanging characters to add to your tree’s limbs will compliment your landscape without damaging your grass. Also, remember to use mulched beds instead of grassy areas for your lawn displays whenever possible.

For those times when a large inflatable is a must, weigh your options before setting up. Having this type of material on your lawn for an extended period of time can create sizable brown spots in your turfgrass. Instead, try to display these objects on non-turf areas if possible. But if you do have to display them on your lawn, don’t leave them up for too long or you risk smothering your turf.

Natural Halloween Lawn Decorations

The best option for lawn preservation during Halloween is all-natural decorations. You can’t go wrong with classic Halloween lawn decorations such as pumpkins, gourds and hay. Paint or carve pumpkins of varying sizes and use them as a border or arrange them on hay bales for a more styled look. You can even tie in black plants for a more spooky vibe. Black monkey grass and black pansies are a great way to complete your Halloween look.

All in all, putting some thought behind your décor will save you from having to repair unsightly turf damage once the holiday hype wears off. So, whatever you decide for your Halloween landscaping, remember to plan before you plant.