It's hard to believe, but September already is two-thirds over. Based on the number of calls I'm getting about lawns, it looks like the month has caught a lot of other folks by surprise, too. September is the best month to work on your cool-season lawns (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and fine fescue). During this month, we should be overseeding, applying a treatment of slow- release nitrogen fertilizer, aerating and dethatching, if needed. We talked about fertilizing last week, so let's look at some of the other fall chores.
Watering advice Owen Dell, author of "Sustainable Landscaping for Dummies," Annie Spiegelman, author of "Talking Dirt," and Tom Christopher, editor of "The New American Sustainable Garden," offer these lawn-care tips:- Give the soil breathing room. Aerate your lawn once or twice a year in spring or fall with a gas-or foot-powered aerator. This loosens the roots and lets water and fertilizers penetrate. Dell suggests removing 9 or 10 little soil "cores" per square foot of lawn and raking compost into the holes.- Try a lush look. If you keep your grass three inches high, it will "shade out" weeds, denying them the sun they need to grow and take over your lawn, Spiegelman says.- Reduce your lawn size. Less lawn means less watering, Spiegelman notes. Consider a border planted with low-maint...
lawn and garden advice - Mow high -- grass should be 3 inches in height. Tall grass encourages deep roots and discourages crabgrass and other weeds. - Let grass clippings stay where they fall. They contain valuable nutrients and help shade the soil, reducing moisture loss. - Purchase fertilizer with slow-release nitrogen and low or no phosphorus and no pesticides. Look for brands that have a bright green "Earth-friendly" sticker on them. - Follow product instructions, being careful to apply only the amount needed for the space. - Sweep fertilizer from the pavement onto the lawn or garden. - Learn about composting. And use compost as fertilizer; it's natural, returns nutrients to the land and holds moisture. - Aerate at least once a year to add oxygen to the lawn. DETROIT - Start ...
There was Millie, a woman with dementia in her 80s, who got her bank account cleaned out by a door-to-door vacuum salesman. Another company promised a new way to aerate your lawn but just sprayed soapy water on the grass. Just a few of the stories that stand out for Betty Sexton, KKTV/ Channel 11's Call for Action reporter.
If your lawn did poorly last year, it could be because of compacted soil. Compacted soil contributes to thatch and hinders water and nutrients from getting down to the roots. This stresses the grass, making it prone to disease and insects. If your soil is compacted, you will need to aerate it. This is done with a mechanical device that pokes small holes in the soil and pulls it out in plugs .
Many of us in the Washington area have shady lawns in clay- laden, acidic soil that does not drain well. This is a situation that encourages moss, particularly in rainy years, even if we aerate and apply lime to the lawn. Unless you are a purist, this is not entirely bad.
-- Limit fall pruning to dead, broken or diseased branches. Leaving these branches gives insects or diseases a place to overwinter and reproduce. They will then attack other parts of the plant. After pruning, discard or shred the branches to prevent further infections. -- Fall is an excellent time to aerate your lawn. If your grass has problems with soil compaction or with excessive thatch, aerate now to reduce further problems.
Question We live in Alanton on a 1-acre lot with big trees and wetlands. We have been here 24 years, and have had fescue for 21 of those years. Ten years ago we spent big bucks and had Emerald zoysia sod installed. Evidently, we did not have enough sun for it was a failure. This experiment was to reduce maintenance, water and chemicals. Then we went back to the fescue. We're starting to become eco-conscious and, as always, we are looking for an easier way to care for our lawn. We reseed, aerate, fertilize twice in the fall, use pre-emergence in the spring and herbicide as needed in summer. Yet our grass looks terrible. Also, I've always waited until mid-December to plant my tulip bulbs since it never really stays cold until then. If I planted the bulbs in October, would they be gatherin...
It's Time To ... Set up lawn Aeration Schedule someone to aerate your lawn during lawn renewal season in September. Tune up your lawn mower Get your lawn mower to the shop for a tune-up if you didn't do so earlier. Mowing of fescue grass gets more frequent as the days cool. Preserve a flower Press a nice bloom between the pages of a heavy book. It will be a souvenir of this year's flower show. News You can use Question: My grass looks tired, not very fresh. What about fertilizer now?
Whether you look out over an expansive lawn or a tiny patch of grass, it's important to know the best methods for maintaining your green domain. And before you start the typical, ritual chemical applications -- you might just want to consider making 2011 the year you go organic (if you're not there already). To obtain and maintain a beautiful lawn, some folks hire expert caretakers, many do the basics and hope for the best, while others may crave a small yard and limit their task to what's called "square- foot gardening." Whatever your pleasure, here is some lawn-care advice from local gardening expert John Deal, owner of Deal's Landscaping Service, Inc., 3454 Dayton-Xenia Road in Beavercreek.
...Aerate and over seed. Aerating is digging deep into the g...
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