There’s Still Time for Autumn Lawn Care

Fall seeding is always preferable to waiting until next spring! It’s not too late to seed. Have you been debating whether or not to reseed or overseed your lawn this fall? Well, we’ve got great news: it’s not too late! Our recommended product for this is Jonathan Green Black Beauty Fall Magic Grass Seed, contains turf grasses specially bred to ensure a successful fall seeding and can be used on both sun and part shade lawns.

Black Beauty^® Fall Magic is the ideal grass seed mixture to use when repairing summer disease and insect damage in lawns. The grass seed varieties in Fall Magic are bred to perform especially well when seeded during the fall planting season of September through November. This seed germinates in 10-14 days.

Jonathan Green’s Black Beauty^® Fall Magic Grass Seed is specially formulated for successful fall seeding projects. Use this seed mixture to overseed a lawn with a sparse stand of grass or to plant a brand new lawn in the autumn.

Seeding early in the fall is always best, but there is still time to develop a thicker, greener lawn if you seed now. It is always better to do so in the fall than waiting for next spring when weeds and cold weather can hinder your efforts. Despite evening temperatures dropping below 60ºF, the soil temperature is about 5º to 10ºF higher. Newly planted grass seed likes warm soil which is one of the reasons why fall is the best time to seed. In warmer soil, grass roots reach down deep to establish the plant before winter weather sets in.

Proper soil preparation is key to growing a successful lawn. Although some of the seeds may germinate if you were to simply throw the seed onto your lawn, you will not see great results without preparing your soil. First, rake the areas that will be seeded vigorously to loosen the soil. Alternatively, rent a power rake or slit seeding machine for the best results. If needed, level the ground. Next, apply the seed with a spreader to ensure even coverage. Be sure not to bury newly planted grass seed more than ¼ inch in depth. Once seed is applied, turn your rake over and gently swish it back and forth to barely cover the seed. Seed to soil contact is very important and enhances germination.

By this time of year, we may experience the first frost, but lawns will still grow with sunny days ahead. The first frost also will kill any existing crabgrass, which is another reason fall seeding is preferred to spring. If you notice bare spots in your lawn after crabgrass has died, you can fill them in with new grass seed.

Fertilize

Fall is a great time to grow grass, and thus is also a great time to feed your lawn! An application of Winter Survival Fall Lawn Food is great at this time. Fertilizing twice in the fall, once in late August and once in late October, will keep your lawn green throughout the rest of the year.

Mow

One last tip before you go: keep mowing your lawn as long as it needs it into late fall! Be sure your mower blades are sharp and in good working order. In late fall, drop your mower down and cut your lawn about an inch and a half shorter than you have the rest of the growing season. Continue to mow shorter until your grass stops growing in early winter, when both you and your lawn head into hibernation mode. Generally, in our area, the final mowing is usually in November. The final mowing height should range right around 1.5”, depending upon grade. Just watch yourself on this last step because an uneven lawn may be severely scalped if cut too low. A short cut can help minimize snow mold, winter kill, ice damage, and even vole damage.

In conclusion, it is not too late to seed your lawn in October and it always better to seed a lawn in the fall, than waiting until next spring.