Four Tips For Fall Lawn Care

Fall is fast approaching and if you live in the Midwest or points North, your lawn will soon begin to thicken its root system in preparation for winter.

This summer has been strange across Michigan, Ohio and Illinois, and compaction and lack of soil nutrients are major concerns.

Here are Four Tips for Helping Your Lawn this Fall

Aeration
I recommend every lawn be aerated in September to help manage thatch levels and loosen hardened and compacted soil. Thatch is the layer of dead grass, leaves and other organic material that collects just above the soil line.

Some thatch is necessary to keep turf root systems shaded and reduce soil erosion and water runoff. However, too much thatch (more than 1") can block water absorption and create shallow rooting in the lawn.

Aeration will manage the thatch layer properly without completely eliminating it like a power-raking or de-thatching would do. I DO NOT recommend power raking except in extreme cases.

You can rent an aerator from Home Depot for about $60 per day and I'd recommend running across your lawn twice. (north and south and then east and west) If this is a bit steep in price for you, consider getting your neighbors to pitch in and share the time. It's well worth the effort.
You can also hire a Dayton lawn service to aerate the lawn for you, as well as have them spread fresh grass seed for you.

Mowing In the Fall
It is always a good idea to cut your lawn taller. I tell customers to set their mower wheels on the second-to-highest setting to be safe. During the fall, you should actually go up one setting higher so as not to stimulate the lawn to grow on top. We want all the energy generated through photosynthesis to be directed to new root production in the turf. Keeping the grass tall leaves more leaf area to soak up the sun during shorter days.

Fall Fertilizatoin
One you've completed the above, it's time to hit the lawn with a nice dose of fertilizer to assist the root development.

Fall fertilization is a two-step process. First off, you should put down a very slow release form of nitrogen in early September. The best form of slow release nitrogen is Milorganite organic. This fertilizer will help maintain the lawn’s color during the cooler months without pushing extra growth. It is important you get the Milorganite down in September as this product relies on heat to breakdown and not moisture.

Secondly, you should apply a synthetic fertilizer blend containing high levels of potassium. These fertilizer blends will look like 10-10-10 and are sometimes referred to as ‘starter fertilizer.’ This step should be completed in later October and may be also called a ‘winterizer.’

Seeding
Fall is also a great time to introduce some fresh cultivars of grass seed into the lawn. A general overseeding directly after the aeration is recommended to help the overall thickness of the turf.

A rate of 1-pound seed per 1,000 square feet of lawn is going to be plenty. Also, since we're in the Fall season, the rains and cooler temperatures will do the trick in keeping the seed moist. However, you should still water the lawn every-other-day for 10 days after you do a general overseeding.

A word of caution: don't buy cheap seed! Look at the label on the back and see the percentage of "noxious weed seed" or "inert material." Both of those together should be less than 3% of the total contents. The last thing we want to do is introduce weeds into the lawn in the fall.

Growing grass seed is not a difficult task. You'll be safe adding Kentucky bluegrass or perennial ryegrass to most lawns, however, I am a fan of turf-type-tall fescue blends as they tolerate drought better. If you are not sure of the type of grass you have in your lawn, call your Detroit lawn service and ask them to help you identify your turf.

These are four fairly simple steps you can take to turn around your lawn from the hot summer, and give it a nice boost for the spring to come.