Fall Lawn Tune-Up
Fall is the most important time of the year when it comes to caring for cool-season lawns. The work you do now on your bluegrass or fescue lawns will pay off big-time later this fall and next spring.
Test Your Soil. A soil test will reveal serious nutrient imbalances and let you know whether you need to add lime or sulfur to adjust pH. Your local cooperative extension can provide assistance in analyzing your soil for any deficiencies, or will put you in touch with a private soil lab that can.
Control grubs. Late summer and fall can be the most active time for grubs. If you have seen those irregular brown spots or have found grubs, apply Bayer Advanced™ 24-Hour Grub Killer Plus Granules. Its highly effective formula offers overnight results against grubs. Nothing works faster for control of lawn grubs. For more information on how to tell if grubs are damaging your lawn, click here.
Control weeds. Weeds compete with grasses for water and nutrients and make your lawn look lousy. A well-cared-for, vigorous lawn will resist weed invasions, but if you're having problems, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Weed Killer for Lawns Concentrate. It kills lawn weeds like dandelions and clover, plus grassy weeds, like crabgrass and nutgrass, in one easy step. Use it now, and you’ll have fewer problems next spring.
Fertilize. Fall is the most important time to fertilize cool-season lawns. Follow label instructions for the amount of fertilizer to apply and how to set your fertilizer spreader correctly.
Aerate. Aerating, which removes small cores of soil, is one of the best things you can do for your lawn. It improves water and nutrient penetration, increases the amount of air that reaches the roots, and helps reduce thatch. Thach is a dense layer of organic matter that forms between the leaves and roots. If it gets over a 1/2-inch thick, it prevents air, water and nutrients from reaching the roots and the lawn begins to suffer. You can hire a lawn service to aerate your lawn, or rent a power aerator from a local rental yard and do it yourself. Once a year is usually plenty.
Plant. Fall is also the best time to plant cool-season lawns from sod or seed, so start a new lawn or repair thin areas of your existing turf. You can also overseed warm-season lawns with cool-season grasses to keep them green all winter in southern areas.
Water and mow. Don’t let up on regular lawn care. Water less as the days get cooler, but don’t let your lawn dry out. Mow regularly.
Products Mentioned In This Article
Bayer Advanced
