Savvy central New Jersey home owners know that although spring lawn care gets all the attention, fall is the make-it or break-it season for your lawn. “I’m already thinking about next year,” says John Dillon, who takes care of New York City’s Central Park. “The grass I grow this fall is what will be there next spring.”
Fall lawn care is no walk in the park. It’s hard work, and Dillon (courtesy of houselogic.com) guides you through the four basic steps.
Aerationlets your lawn breathe in autumn, and allows room for new grass to spread without competition from spring weeds. An aeration tool allows water, oxygen and nutrients to reach roots, and gives seeds room to sprout. A hand-aerating tool looks like a pitchfork with hollow tines. It's labor-intensive and meant for unplugging small sections of grass. Gas-powered aerating machines (you can rent one for about $20/hour) are the size of a big lawn mower, and are good for working entire lawns. Depending on the size of your property, professional aeration costs about $150.
Soil temperature is about 55 degrees in the fall, making it the best time to seed your lawnbecause turf roots grow vigorously in fall and winter. Bags of inexpensive seed ($35 for 15 pounds) often contain hollow husks, weed seed, and annual rye grass seed, which grows until the first frost then drops dead. Splurge on the good stuff ($55 for 15 pounds of Kentucky Bluegrass seed), which resists drought, disease, and insects. Water your new seed every day for 10 to 20 days until it germinates.
Late fall fertilization — before the first frost — helps your grass survive a harsh winter, and encourages it to grow green and lush in spring. Make your last fertilization of the year count by choosing a product high (10% to 15%) in phosphorous, which is critical for root growth, Dillon says.
Instead of raking leaves, run over them a couple of times with your mower to grind them intomulch. The shredded leaves protect grass from winter wind and desiccation. An added bonus is that shredded leaves decompose into organic matter to feed grass roots. A mulching blade ($10) that attaches to your mower will grind the leaves even finer.
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Image: Renie Britenbucher
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