Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey

Lawns thinned by hot dry summers, foot traffic and pests are prime candidates for a fall revitalization program. Weeds should be pulled, and the site should be prepared before planting.

By the end of the summer, the long hot days have taken their toll. If you’re feeling tired, worn out and a little scorched around the edges, imagine how your lawn feels. Both of you could probably use a little revitalization.

Fall is the ideal time to begin a soil cultivation program for your yard because by the end of August, lawns (like their caretakers) start looking forward to autumn’s cooler days. Cool-season turfgrasses, like Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue and perennial ryegrass, grow best during cool weather.

A complete fall lawn care program includes three key elements: core aerating, fertilizing and overseeding. When used together, these three practices help develop a strong, healthy root system.

Photo Credit: Jodi Torpey

Fall into good lawn care practices now, so you can spring into a healthy yard later!

Aeration is the first step – and the best way to start. Aeration is the process of pulling small cores of soil out of the ground. Opening up the soil surface allows water and important nutrients to move into the root zone, helping turfgrass recover from summer stresses and preparing it to survive next summer’s heat. Core-aerate using equipment (which you can usually rent) that pulls plugs 3 or 4 inches deep out of the ground on 4-inch centers. Apply fall fertilizer and grass seed just after aerating, always following label instructions.

Turf experts recommend fertilizing in fall before the grass turns brown. In fact, the fall fertilizer application is the most important one of the year because feeding during this time helps the grass green up faster in spring. Apply a fertilizer with a good balance of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, and preferably one that’s a “slow-release” formula to help provide season-long fertilization.