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Lets talk a little about fall lawn care. Robert Mugaas of the University of Minnesota says,” a lawn may be considered a garden area comprised of many individual grass plants rather than just a few flower or vegetable plants”. He says, “that in a typical 1,000 square feet of lawn there are about 1 million grass plants”. If you think of your lawn in this manner, a healthy lawn is like any other type of gardening. The same growing practices that you use for your vegetable and flower gardens are also appropriate for your grass plants. To achieve these conditions are somewhat different for lawns than gardens, but are as important for healthy grass as healthy garden plants.
The best time to seed or renovate your lawn is late summer, mid-August to mid- September; this is when the weather is most favorable for germination and growth. Also keep in mind that fewer weed seeds are germinating now so the grass seed has less competition. When choosing a grass seed make sure that you get the right seed for the right place, is the site sunny, shady or a heavy traffic area? All of these factors will have an influence on the choice of seed to use. More seed is not better. The typical application rates for our area is 3-5 pounds of seed to 1000 square feet. One of the most overlooked areas of seeding is seed depth. As a general rule of thumb, the smallest seed in the mix determines seeding depth. If the seed is about 1/8 inch then the depth should be no more than ¼ inch. When the seeding is done by hand or a drop spreader, good seed to soil contact is important. This can be achieved by turning a leaf rake on its back (teeth facing up) and dragging it across the seeded surface. This will help mix the seed and soil to improve germination and help establish the turf.
Now is also the best time to aerate. This will help maintain healthy turf. It fights soil compaction, improves water filtration, promotes healthy roots and prevents thatch build-up. Core aeration is the best method to use, making sure to penetrate 2-3 inches into the soil. Try to get 20-40 holes per square foot; this might requiremore than one pass. After aeration you can over-seed your lawn. Remember to water lightly and consistently once or twice a day after any seeding is done. Water for at least two weeks to wet the soil, but do not let it become soggy. If the seeds or new grass dries out during this phase you will not have much success. Bachman’s has grass seed especially formulated for our area along with lawn fix and lawn patch mixes also available. Don’t forget Bachman’s Fall Lawn Winterizer formula, which has an 18-0-12 blend and 1 bag, will cover 5,000 square feet.
Manage annual weeds in the lawn in the spring and perennial weeds in the lawn in the fall. Common annual broadleaf weeds are cocklebur, lambs quarter, ragweed, spurge and knotweed. Common perennial broadleaf weeds are dandelion, plantain, thistle, clover and creeping Charlie. The most effective time to treat the perennial weeds is when the plant’s energy is directed to its roots, which is the fall. Use the proper herbicides for the perennial broadleaf weeds you are trying to treat. If unsure of the type of weed bring in a sample to our horticulturists they will be happy to identify the weed and help you select the proper chemical for the job.
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• Pick fruit and veggies as they develop.
• Continue to weed.
• Think about bulbs to plant this fall, they will be arriving soon!
• Repot houseplants that have grown vigorously outside before bringing them in for the winter.
• Collect seeds once they are ripe for next year’s gardens.
• Divide perennials, replant or share some with others.
• Take advantage of Bachman’s outdoors sales, you can still plant!
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