Grass is a lush green carpet that God created for the earth. But for some people, grass is a small nuisance that was inherited when they bought their home; yet for others, the landscape isn't complete without a lawn planted somewhere in it.
There's usually only one part of the property that avid gardeners pay the most attention to; and it's not the lawn, it's their gardens. The lawn is, manytimes, a gardener's lowest priority. For every extra minute a gardener has to spend outside, they'd rather pull weeds in their garden instead of wasting time on the dandelions and crabgrass in their lawns. Gardens forever, and grass never! But the reality is that a beautiful lawn is important because it's one of the main ingredients to "curb appeal."
The neighbor on the left is a faithful Saturday-morning lawn cutter. The curved patterns in his freshly manicured lawn reminds you of a your indoor carpet after you vacuum. Then there's the neighbor on the right who has a lawn service that keeps their lawn plush, green, and immaculate. And finally, there's your lawn, smack dab in the middle. The grass is about 4 inches long, and welcomes all kinds of weeds to grow right along with it. The weeds seem to poke up a little higher than the grass itself. There are brown spots where the dog decided to...you know. You can't even walk to the mailbox barefoot for fear of stepping on something slithering in the tall grass. Then, the neighbor asks if you need to borrow their lawnmower. And even when you do cut the lawn, it just doesn't have that golf course look. Truth be told, maintaining your lawn will cost some time and money. But the grass doesn't have to be greener on the other side.
Most people know that spring is the time to get out the shredder and mower out of the garage or shed and work on the lawn; but fall lawn care can improve the health of your lawn by fixing lawn problems such as barespots, brown patches, and weeds that intend to come up next year. It's the fall feeding that improves the lawn because it locks in the nutrients before the ground freezes and gives the grass everything it needs to survive the freezing temperatures of winter. The cool soil in the fall causes rapid root development before the freeze. Then, when the warm weather arrives in spring, the grass will burst from the ground from the stored nutrients applied in the fall. In fact, if you've already fertilized back in early September, you can do it again in late October for a real jump start on spring. There are many different fertilizers (liquid/granular) depending on your type of grass so read the instructions on your fertilizer for spreading amounts and best times to fertilize.
There are many different varieites of grass. The regimen right for your fall lawn care will vary depending on whether your grass is a warm season turf grass or a cool season turf grass. If you are not sure which grass you have, take a sample to the county extension office. You'll know if you have warm season grass because during the winter, the grass turns brown. Although you shouldn't plant a lawn with warm season grass seed in the fall; you can overseed your lawn with annual winter ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) so that you can enjoy a green lawn in the winter. The annual ryegrass will die back in summer when the warm season grass begins to grow. If your planting a new lawn; warm season turf grass should be sown and fertilized in the spring, and they include Bermudagrass, Saint-Augustine grass, zoysiagrass, and buffalograss. Choose the best lawn grass for your landscape.
If you're seeding with a cool season grass then the time to seed is now. Varieties of cool season turf grass include Kentucky bluegrasses, bentgrass, fine fescues, and perennial rye. From August 15 to September 15 is the best time to seed a cool season lawn; this will leave a good amount of time for the new grass to take hold before winter. Even though it's the first week of October, it's still not too late because more than likely we'll have an Indian summer. You can lay seed in October and although the seed may lay dormant in the winter, it will pop up in spring giving you a head start on the growing season.
There are many different methods for planting grass seed; but four important things to remember when planting seed is that first; it must be planted at the correct depth; secondly, the seed must have good contact with moist soil; thirdly, make sure you are using the right seed for the right season (warm season or cold season grass), and finally, make sure you use the right grass for your specific light conditions (sun/shade grass).
No matter what type of grass you have, there are always things to do when it comes to the fall lawn.
Here is your cool season grass to do list for fall:
- Fertilization. Apply 1 pound of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn.
- Apply herbicides to broadleaf weeds
- Test your soil - Check and Correct soil pH
If your lawn doesn't look good, it may be the soil. A soil test should show whether your soil composition is too acidity (apply lime), or high alkalinity (apply sulphur).
- Thatch removal: Two methods: de-thatch or core aeration, (an aerator can be bought or rented)
- Rake leaves, or leaf vacuum so that your leaves won't smother the grass during the winter.
- Overseeding lawns or seed lawn, if necessary
Here are a few things you shouldn't do to your lawn:
1. Don't let the grass go into the winter without nutrients that will help the roots grow
2. Don't leave the leaves on the grass to rob it of oxygen and sun for photosynthesis
3. Don't mow the grass real low for the winter. It needs to have some fir.
When spring arrives, you won't be embarrassed because the grass is greener on the other side; but your neighbor will. Go green, take care of your lawn this fall for a truly green spring.
Click here: FOR A GUIDE TO GARDENING: THE 2010 GARDENING SEASON: READY? LET'S GROW!
Click here to subscribe to my NATIONAL SPIRITUALITY AND NATURE COLUMN on Examiner.com
*Please feel free to subscribe to my articles by clicking the subscribe box above. A free subscription will alert you to new gardening articles
Comments