Fall Lawn Care

Taking care of your lawn during the fall is as important as it is during spring and summer, even more so for lawns with cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and tall fescue. Nearly all fertilizers and broadleaf herbicides should be applied in the fall and it is by far the best time to renovate and reseed lawns.

Fertilizing your lawn in the fall will help it grow stronger, thicker and greener. Cool-season grasses should be fertilized with nitrogen in late September and again in four to six weeks. Use either farm fertilizers such as ammonium nitrate or urea, or use specialty fertilizers found in garden centers. The normal rate is 1 to 1.5 pounds of nitrogen per 1,000 square feet of lawn, however it is always best to soil sample and know the exact recommendations for your home lawn. Remember to spread it evenly over your lawn.

If broadleaf weeds such as clover, dandelion, plantain and chickweed are growing in your lawn, fall is the best time of year to get them under control. Almost all broadleaf weeds can be controlled selectively in turfgrass by applying 2, 4-D and/or Dicamba. These are sold in many garden centers under a variety of trade names. For the best results, apply the herbicide on any relatively warm day in late September and/or October.  Reminder- crabgrass does not fall into this category.

Summer’s stresses often take a toll on your lawn. The best time to reseed your lawn is in September. Because the goal is to get the seed in close contact with the soil, it is recommended that you first remove surface debris and mechanically groove the soil. This is easier done by traversing the lawn with a dethatching machine that can be rented at many rental centers. Seed a turf-type tall fescue at a rate of 5 to 6 pounds per 1,000 square feet. To avoid uneven application, spread half the seed horizontally across the lawn and the other half vertically. The best and quickest results are obtained if the seeded areas can be kept moist until the seeds germinate.

Remember to continue mowing your lawn as long as the grass is growing. You might want to lower the height in the fall to 2 inches. This tends to keep the grass greener longer in the winter and will help the lawn to green up earlier the next spring. It might even help increase turf density.

For more information on lawn care and renovating your home lawn, contact the McLean County Cooperative Extension Service at (270)273-3690.  The University of Kentucky is committed to a policy of providing opportunities to people regardless of economic or social status and will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, marital status, genetic information, age, veteran status, or physical or mental disability.