Seasonal: Fall Care & Winterizing (5861)

Your lawn's favorite season of the year is late summer to late-fall; from August 15 to Thanksgiving. Taking advantage of cool weather is an easy way to keep your lawn healthy all year long. Think about it as helping your lawn recover from the heat of the summer and preparing for the cold winter. Doing the right thing for your lawn now makes it healthier when it wakes up in the spring.

First, let's recover! You'll want to repair any areas of dead grass or places that are full of weeds. This is the best time of year to plant seed or lay sod. Follow good establishment practices, such as soil testing and preparation and choosing the best grass variety for your needs.

The next part of the summer recovery process is controlling weeds that have taken over areas where your lawn is weak. Before you run for a chemical, find out why your grass is weak in these areas and try to fix any problems related to shade, soil compaction, poor fertility, or low mowing height. Weeds usually take over because of poor management weakening the grass.

If you decide to use an herbicide for broadleaf weed control, the best time is after the first killing frost in mid-September to mid-October. Remember, proper weed identification is vital for successful control.

Now let's think about preparing for the winter. Fertilization is the key! You'll want to fertilize your lawn twice during this 2½-month period. For best results, take a soil test and follow the recommendations. Make the first fall application around Labor Day. Then after you finish your last mowing, when it's about 50 degrees for two weeks (mid- to late November) make the second, or late-fall fertilizer application.

Another important fall practice is thatch removal. Thatch is a layer of dead plant material—mostly roots and stems, not clippings—that can build up on the soil surface. Specialized equipment can be rented, your mower could be fitted with a special blade, or a commercial lawn care firm can be hired to remove thatch. Thatch removal should occur when grass is actively growing.

Finally, continue to mow your lawn in fall until grass stops growing sometime in November. This helps lawns thicken up for the winter. Maintain a 2½- to 3-inch mowing height. Allowing the lawn to get overly long so that it lays over and mats during the winter may cause problems with winter diseases, such as snow mold, and damaging rodents such as meadow mice.

A good way to handle tree leaves during the fall is with a mower. Either a mulching mower or a regular rotary mower can do the job. A moderate amount of leaves can be mowed over with the grass and just recycled to the lawn with the clippings. This provides nutrients as the grass and leaves compost right on the lawn. If leaf fall is excessive, you should spread them out or remove some to prevent leaves from matting and suffocating the grass underneath.

In summary, if you do nothing else with your lawn all year, take advantage of the 2½  months of late summer to late fall. Proper fertilization and mowing will make your lawn healthy all year.

For more information on this subject, Please visit the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Web site.

Feel free to forward, post or reprint any of the "Solutions" in their entirely, but please credit http://www.solutions.psu.edu/ as the original source of information, and please do not change the content.