Get a Head-Start on a Beautiful Lawn
Whether they live in the North or South, homeowners can get a head start on lush, green lawns next spring by properly preparing their yards this fall. Weed control, fertilizing, mowing, raking and aerating are all important steps to ensure a desirable lawn in the year to come.
Weed Control
Many broadleaf weeds that bombard lawns in the spring, like the dreaded dandelion, actually germinate during the fall. That means the best time to control these weeds is in early fall. The ideal time in Northern states is during the first 10 days of October. In the South, control weeds later in the year, in late November or early December. In the transition zone (lower Midwest and Mid-Atlantic states), the best time is early November.
When controlling weeds, timing is everything because putting down herbicides too early may miss the weeds before they germinate. To effectively treat weeds as they emerge, apply a regular broadleaf herbicide at normal or half rate. (Half rate, or the lowest recommended rate, is usually enough to control weeds because they are still quite small.) Always read and follow the label directions before using any herbicide.
Fertilizing
Fall fertilizing is one of the most important steps in ensuring healthy grass in the spring because when a lawn goes dormant, well-nourished roots will continue to grow in soil with temperatures above 35 degrees.
The best time to give lawns their fall feeding varies by region. As a rule of thumb, people in the South should fertilize once in early fall (September). Apply a fertilizer containing phosphorus and potassium, which contribute to growth and development.
Those in the North should fertilize once in September and then again in November, right before the onset of winter. Apply a fertilizer containing nitrogen in November, which will encourage root growth and a lush, green color next spring. The rate of a nitrogen fertilizer should be 0.5-1.0 lbs of nitrogen/1000 ft2.
Before fertilizing in the fall in the North, be sure the lawn's top growth has stopped and the lawn has been mowed for the last time. Over-fertilizing can encourage top growth instead of root growth, which will not benefit the lawn going into the winter.
Mowing
Just as mowing below the recommended height in the heat of summer can damage the lawn, so will mowing too short in cool weather during the fall. If grass is actively growing, never remove more than one-third of the grass blade.
The one exception to this rule is at the end of the mowing season. In Northern states that will likely be covered under a blanket of snow in the winter, cut the grass a bit shorter. This will remove leaf blades that turn brown and go dormant during the winter. It will also make the yard look greener earlier in the spring.
Raking
Remember to remove large piles of leaves, twigs and other debris from the lawn. These elements break down slowly, suffocating the lawn and contributing to rot, mold and other turf diseases.
Grinding up leaves and returning them to the lawn, on the other hand, helps the lawn by adding nutrients to the soil. Blades designed to mulch and fit on the lawn mower are available at most lawn and garden centers. Keep leaves in the yard and mow over them as usual. Further, it has been shown that leaves from some maple species provide natural inhibition against weeds, like the dandelion.
Aerating helps break up compacted soil and remove excess thatch, allowing fertilizer nutrients, sunlight and air to infiltrate the soil. In Northern states, aeration in the fall is ideal because the grass is under the least amount of stress and can recover easily with fall's lower daily temperatures and longer, cooler evenings.
When aerating, make sure the machine removes cores or plugs of soil. This relieves compaction and ensures that thatch is broken up. Also, make an adequate number of passes over the lawn to correct any problems - most aeration machines will not affect more than five percent of the surface area with any one pass. Two or three passes is the minimum if there is a severe compaction or thatch problem.
Remember that too much or too little of something isn't always a good thing. The right combination of weed control, fertilizing, mowing, raking and aerating will help ensure that the lawn is ready for next spring and looking better than ever.
