Fall Lawn Care

Why… Fall fertilization is the best time because your lawn has passed through the stresses of summer and requires nutrients to rebuild itself for the next season. During the fall there is less competition from insects, weeds, and diseases are less aggressive.

Fall is also the best time period for controlling perennial broadleaf weeds like dandelions and clover for example. The reason for this is that weeds are preparing for winter and pull starches and nutrients from their leaves into their root systems. As they do this they also draw herbicides into their root systems which in turn more effectively kill the weeds.

Lawns require high nitrogen levels, as a result fertilizer rates are expressed in pounds of nitrogen per thousand square feet of lawn. There are quick release nitrogen fertilizers and slow release ones. The slow release ones are more expensive but more evenly apply the nitrogen into your lawn.

Lawns need other nutrients as well but nitrogen is most important. The more established your lawn the more nitrogen only you can use. If you have a newly seeded lawn, or have just added new sod, you’ll need to make sure your using a more well balanced fertilizer with other nutrients. This will vary depending on the type of grass, the type of soil (including how nutrient rich or poor it is), and other factors.

To get the best results, contact your local county extension agent office or local master gardener. You can take a soil sample from your lawn and have it tested for the most accurate analysis of what nutrients are actually needed and in what proportion. If you think of all the time and effort you put into your yard and garden, it is worth a little time to get some advice.

In summary, fall is the ideal time to feed your lawn for future growth and to go after the weeds you hate with herbicides.