Does Your Lawn Need Some “Work”?



Whose lawn needs a little "work"?

Have you made a mental note to do some much-needed work on your lawn next spring—to kill weeds, fill in some bare spots, do major renovation?

Forget about waiting until next spring.  There’s a better time to get started—now.

In his “One turf battle … you can win” in the Washington Post, Adrian Higgins writes:  “September and October are the best months for lawn fixing, especially for seeding preferred cool-season fescues.  It may seem more intuitive to seed in the spring, when everything is growing, but spring seedlings can be too frail to handle the rigors of summer.  Fall-started grass will have developed more fully before the stresses of next year’s growing season.”

Higgins’ article has several sidebars you’ll want to skim: “Infringing on your turf,” about common lawn problems; “The weed whisperer,” about—you guessed already—what to do about common turf weeds; “It’s tall fescue to the rescue,” which makes the case for using turf-type tall fescue grass seed; and “Be among the sharpest tools in the shed,” which describes essential tools for the job, such as a rake and spreader, and some you might want to rent or borrow for a major lawn rehab—such as an aerator, rototiller, and dethatcher.

To read Higgins’ article, CLICK HERE.

If Higgins’ article and sidebars tweak your interest in working on your lawn but you want in-depth information, I recommend you read the University of Maryland Extension’s Home & Garden Information Center’s 12-page free brochure, “Lawn Establishment, Renovation, and Overseeding.”  Major sections include: Pre-Planting Decisions; Lawn Establishment; Renovation; Repairing Bare Spots; Care & Maintenance after Seeding; Common Lawn Problems; and “Turfgrass Maintenance Calendars.”  To read, download, or print the brochure, CLICK HERE.