Congratulations! Your lawn has made it through another summer and is ready for fall!
Late summer and early fall marks the return of the cool season grasses. The cooler temperatures and usually more rainfall bring them out of their semi-dormancy, and they green up and begin to grow again. Fall is also when they begin to prepare for winter by producing food and storing it in its roots. The combination of the two puts great strain on your turf and it needs some assistance in the form of fertilizer. In fact, for just that reason Penn State and most all states’ extension services say this is an important time to fertilize and if you only do it once a year, fall is the time to do it.
This is the best time of year to do several things to prepare for next year.
- Aerate
- Plant grass or overseed – You can start by aerating followed by overseed and a fertilizer application. This will not only enhance its appearance but also help to choke out future weeds.
- Fertilize
- Attack those hard-to-control weeds – If you are NOT overseeding, then you can apply a weed and feed like Scotts TurfBuilder Weed & Feed or Lebanon ProScape with Dimension to attack bothersome weeds like clover, dandelion and ground ivy.