Fall Turf Talk

I know that we have not had much moisture but even if your turf area is hard don’t put off aeration. This will help the turf and what little moisture we have been getting it will get deeper into the soil. The cores will also help to break down the thatch layer in the lawn.

You may have been delaying your fertilization routine due to the lack of moisture but do put down fertilizer this fall especially if you aerate.

It is a good idea to take a soil sample so you can treat with home nutrients this fall and have a plan for going into the spring.

It is a good idea to take a soil sample so you can treat with home nutrients this fall and have a plan for going into the spring. Fall is a good time to lime and a soil sample will help to tell how much lime your turf will need.

Fall is also a good time to seed your lawn. Remember to check to see if your Town has water restrictions as the new seed needs to be water daily until it is about an inch in height. With the severe drought, it may be better to wait until spring to seed.

Spring seeding is an option. You will need to remember that the seed will take longer to germinate because of ground temperature and possibly air temperature so you will need to water longer.

You can use straw to cover your seed work. Don’t put it on too heavy and don’t take it off as you may pull up the new growth of grass seedlings. You would use straw for the heat it produces or salt hay. You can also use a product like Penn Mulch which has starter fertilizer made into it. It is made from recycled paper material and looks like rabbit pellets. It will expand when watered and act like hydroseeding.

There has been some grub activity so check those brown spots to make sure whether it is grub damage or drought.

Your grass may be coming back slowly, but that is good. Our grass here where we live is a cool-season grass and will go dormant during the summer heat. It may recover fine but remember that we are in a severe drought so delay seed work until spring if you can.