4 Essentials For Fall Fescue Maintenance
Posted on: 23 August 2019
Caring for your lawn throughout the year can be overwhelming, but it is important to ensure your grass and home's curb appeal are in healthy, appealing condition. If you have fescue grass, proper care is even more essential to ensure your lawn withstands the heavy abuse of the changing seasons. With fall quickly approaching, it is time to prepare your lawn for the new, cooler season. Here are a few essential for maintaining a fescue lawn in the fall.
Mow and Thatch
To get started, mow your fescue to a lower height. This will give you easier access to the grass and underlying soil. The less grass height you have, the easier it will be to aerate and apply seed and fertilizer.
Use a thatching rake to dig up and remove any dead patches of grass and weeds after mowing. This dead growth will only inhibit the new grass seed's growth while affecting the overall appeal of your lawn.
Aerate
The fall is a great time to aerate your lawn for a few reasons. Not only is the weather cooler, but the ground is also softer, so aerating will be more efficient and effective, especially when compared to the summer season.
In certain parts of the country, the weather may still be warm in the fall season. If you feel the lawn is too hard to aerate, consider watering all of the grass for a few minutes. This will quickly soften up your grass and underlying soil, allowing you to aerate with ease.
Considering hiring a service to complete the aerating and other tasks or renting an aerator to place the small holes in your lawn yourself.
Reseed
After aerating, your lawn will be ready for an application of new grass seed. Make sure outdoor temperatures are not higher than 75 degrees.
Although not an essential part of maintenance, reseeding the lawn in the fall will help ensure the lawn is growing in thick and full. It is especially important to focus your seed application on bare or damaged areas of the lawn, so adding extra seed to these areas can be helpful.
Fertilize
Finally, you will need to fertilize your lawn in the fall. The type of fertilizer to use will depend on your specific soil conditions, so consider bringing a sample in to your local government office for a full evaluation. A lawn fertilization service can also test your soil.
In most cases, you will apply a slow-release granular fertilizer that contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium for efficient and healthy growth.
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