It's fall clean-up time again. One of my favorite times of year. I can’t seem to get enough of being outside in the yard. I guess it's because winter is pressing ever closer and it won’t be long before it will be too cold and wet, not to mention snow-covered to do much gardening.
Fall clean-up seems to be more fun than spring cleaning anyway. You see more families outside doing the gardening chores together. Kids who disappear in the thin air of a spring day don't seem to mind helping to bag lawn thatch and fallen leaves. Maybe they feel a need to be outside these last few weeks before winter too.
Fall is a great time to prepare annual planting beds for spring, to tidy up perennial beds and, of course...get the lawn in shape for winter.
Now is the time to spread an application of a slow release fall fertilizer like 10-4-4, specially formulated to strengthen grass for the winter months ahead and to feed grass roots slowly for several months till spring. This feeding combined with a good dethatching and top seeding will ensure a beautiful lawn next year.
So, taking the process step by step, the first thing to do is give the lawn a thorough raking with a steel rake to remove thatch which builds up over the summer. Then apply the 10-4-4 according to label instructions for best coverage, and water it in well. Next, spread some mesh top soil thinly on bare patches and sow a generous quantity of lawn seed into the soil (one pound per 400 sq. ft.). Top seed the rest of the lawn by hand casting grass seeds lightly all over. Make sure you don't throw it in the garden beds or you’ll be making some extra work for yourself when it starts to grow vigorously where you'd rather it didn't!
Keep the lawn area moist, but not soggy, with frequent deep waterings to help the seeds germinate and the grass seedlings from drying out. The cool autumn temperatures will help ensure good strong root growth rather than excessive top growth as sometimes happens during spring re-seeding.
If your lawn has been infested with crabgrass this summer, you might be wise to forego re-seeding in favor of getting rid of the crabgrass. Wait until the plants go to seed and spray with crabgrass preventer. Don't try to re-seed your lawn after you've applied crabgrass preventer, or it won't germinate. The active ingredients, which prevent crabgrass seeds from germinating, will also prevent regular lawn seeds from doing so.
As an alternative, you could try pulling up as much of the crabgrass as possible by hand, and then re-seed hoping to crowd out the unwanted weed. Then use crabgrass preventer early in the spring before the seeds germinate.
Remember ... a strong, healthy lawn is your best protection against lawn weeds. The thicker the grass, the less likely weeds will have a chance or space to take hold!
