The proper care and feeding of your fall lawn

by | Nov 1, 2014 | 17, 18, Articles

<h2 style="margin: 10pt 0in 0pt"><font size="3" color="#990000">The proper care and feeding of your fall lawn</font></h2><p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">(ARA) – Most people view spring and summer as the peak time for lawn care, but it’s fall that actually marks the beginning of your lawn’s growing season. There are simple but crucial steps to take now to promote a strong, beautiful lawn through next season and beyond.</span></p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt"><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Whether you have the best yard in the neighborhood or you haven’t had much success with your turf, you can improve and maintain the condition of your lawn if you take these three steps:</p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Build a foundation</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">The ideal conditions that come with fall — cool nights and warm soil — make it the best time to feed your lawn. The autumn window of opportunity to repair summer damage and achieve long-term lawn success is small, but it’s also a critical time to build and strengthen the root system. A product like Scotts Turf Builder Winterguard helps build strong, deep roots for a better foundation in your existing lawn. The better the root system, the more robust your lawn will be next year. A good fall feeding will keep your turf strong and green throughout the fall, winter and into spring. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Encourage new growth</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Fall is also the best time to seed your lawn. The soil is still warm, but the air is cooler, meaning weeds have less opportunity to compete. Trees are shedding their leaves so grass receives more sun, and diseases that attack grass seedlings are less active in the fall. Overseeding with Scotts Turf Builder grass seed promotes (or helps create) a thick, lush lawn at the start of spring, making it difficult for airborne weed seeds to root in the soil. Seeding autumn bare spots will thicken the lawn and make it more resistant to future bare spots.</p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"> </p><div style="text-align: center"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="425" height="282"><param name="movie" value="../images/banners/18a.swf" /><param name="quality" value="high" /><param name="menu" value="false" /><param name="wmode" value="" /><embed src="../images/banners/18a.swf" wmode="" quality="high" menu="false" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="282"></embed></object></div>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">To reseed your bare spots, dig up bare areas, mix in compost, sow your seeds and cover with more compost. If the weather is dry, keep the seeded soil moist until new grass begins to grow. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><strong>Leave the rake behind</strong></p><p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">Don’t spend time raking and bagging leaves this season. Mulching leaves into dime-sized pieces by mowing over them and leaving them on the lawn provides valuable nutrients needed to produce thick, green turf in the spring. Mulching helps build a better foundation and returns much-needed organic matter back into the soil. </p>  <p style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal">For more information on fall lawn care, visit Scotts.com. </p>  <p><span style="line-height: 200%; font-family: ‘Verdana’,’sans-serif’; letter-spacing: 1pt; font-size: 10pt">Courtesy of ARAcontent</span></p></span>