Fall Lawn Care

Look folks, fall lawn care is pretty simple stuff. Now that it has started raining again and the nights are cool, it is a perfect time to take a look at the turf and get it ready for next year.

So, what I'm about to do in my front lawn.

I'll mow it again. With the rain of the last week, it has started growing. But I'll mow it as high as the mower deck can go. I want those grass blades as long as possible.

And I'll topdress with a minimum of 2 pounds of grass seed per 1000 square feet. If you want thick grass (you do!) then you have to add this amount of grass seed every year.

The bottom line - unless you fill in your grass and make it thick - the weeds will invade. Thick stands of grass are your first line of defense against weeds.

If you've treated your grass this year with a chemical (shame on you - here's how you can have a great lawn without chemicals) then you really need to add grass seed or the weeds will simply come back.

Grass doesn't "just fill in" empty spaces as the popular press would have you believe. You gotta help.

I use perennial rye grass because it establishes well as a topdress grass (better than any others) and because it's tougher than most and because you're an expert on hands and knees you won't know the difference between it and one of the most expensive Kentucky Bluegrass varieties.

For the record - I'll be applying around 3-4 pounds per 1000 square feet on this first year. I want a much better front lawn next spring.

And it is far too early to fertilize your lawn in the fall. Good fall lawn care means you don't feed that lawn until later in October when the grass tops are slowed right down. The feed will be used by the roots for overwintering.

That's it. Get busy out there.