Four Late Fall Prescriptions

Four late Fall Prescriptions that will lead to great lawn 2015. If you want a great lawn you need to start this fall. If you follow these four items in the closing months of the year you can accomplished a greater and greener lawn in 2015. Cool season grasses will continue to grow especially with the moisture that we have had this fall. If you have warm season grasses then they are about to turn brown to come back next summer.

First with the moisture that we have had and the cool temperatures, cool season grasses will continue to grow. If you do not mowed this grass it will get long under the snow and under the snow has a great tendency to mold and will cause thinning of the grass and next spring. It will start with holes where weeds and crab grass can start to grow. So mow your grass at the same length you have through summer. Mow every two weeks until it snows.

Second your grass will need fertilizer. As in the summer when you cut your grass and remove the tops you remove nitrogen that needs to be added back to the soil. A small amount of fertilizer in fall will thicken your grass removing spaces for the weeds to take hold. Even with snow on the ground the grass will continue to grow and needs to be fertilized.

Third item is to remove the leaves as they fall. If you do not they will pack down onto the grass and will cause disease problems. That causes problems next spring. They can also take nitrogen from the soil in order decompose. This may be a slow process however it will cause holes in your grass allowing weeds to germinate in the spring.

Fourth remove any broad Leafed weeds in your yard this fall. This can be done easily by hand spraying them with a broad leaf herbicide. In doing this now the area filled with weeds can turn into grass all the way through the winter.

It is almost too late but if you get two to three weeks of sixty plus you can germinate seed. There are many people who by a one dollar ticket to win the lottery. So putting some grass seed now is worth the try.

One last item if it turns dry for several weeks before it snows remember to water.

©Ken Wilson &Gardening Whisperer 2014