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Fall
Around the first week of September, lawns in most areas of the country begin a new growth spurt after the hard times of summer. Water and mow as in the late spring, and do most seeding, fertilizing, and weed control now. If your lawn needs more than basic maintenance, this is also the time to dethatch or aerate it.- Use patch and fill-in seeding to take care of bare spots and areas where grass is thin.
- Fertilize your lawn around mid-September to get the best results. Leaf and stem growth slows in the fall, so the nutrients you add will mainly feed the roots. The type and amount of fertilizer to use depends on your lawn's condition and partly on the severity of winters in your area. Be sure to get advice from local experts.
- Attack dandelions and broadleaf weeds if spot-spraying them in the summer failed to wipe them out. Apply either a combination of weed killer and lawn food or a separate broadleaf herbicide. In areas where crabgrass and other weeds have taken over more than half the surface, spray with a nonselective herbicide. Wait a week or more (as prescribed on the herbicide label), then clear away the dead growth, loosen the soil surface with a garden rake, and sow new seed.
- Dethatch your lawn to remove accumulated layers of grass plants and roots if thatch buildup is more than 1/2 inch thick.
- Aerate the lawn to promote healthy root growth and prevent thatch buildup. The best time is from late August to mid-September, but aerating at other times can be successful.
From The Family Handyman
From The Family Handyman Landscape Projects
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