Cool Fall Lawn Practices

Fall is the most important season of organic lawn care. All those microbes that are being applied love the cooler temperature. Their populations will increase greatly and breakdown lots of nutrients for your lawn’s consumption next spring. These microbes will also work to relieve soil conditions that cause weeds.

To apply microbes in the fall follow these steps:
1. Aerate your lawn either with a digging fork simply pushed into the turf, moving it backward and forward about 6 inches. Or you may rent a power aerator at the hardware or rental store. The store staff will show you how to use this equipment.
2. Top dress with a high quality compost. It is important to note the “high quality” of the above statement. Most composts are not composted correctly and may contain weed seeds and other contaminants. A reliable source of high quality compost is at The Landscape and Concrete Center at 313 West 61st Street in Richfield. 612-866-0430.

To apply the compost, load it into a wheelbarrow and using a pitchfork or shovel, scatter the compost 1/4″ to 1/2″ thick over the lawn. Be careful to not leave piles or large clumps as they smother the grass. To avoid these dead spots use a leaf rake to further spread and disperse the compost. Raking will also lift the grass blades up, out of the compost.

To calculate how much compost you need, determine the area of your lawn, multiply length x width, to calculate area. Then multiply the area by .02( for 1/4″ depth). This will give you the amount of compost needed in cubic feet. To convert to cubic yards, divide cubic feet by 27.

3. After you top dress you can apply organic fertilizer, lime or grass seed or other amendments. I recommend fertilizer, lime and seed this year to help lawns recover from the drought and heat damage of this past summer.

4. Water. Lawns are still alive and need water even though temperatures are cooler. One inch per week, including rain is needed for lush green lawns. This water is called for until the soil freezes, usually around Thanksgiving. This extended water schedule is especially necessary after the hot, dry summer. Watering late will help replenish sub soil moisture. It will also help trees, shrubs and other plantings recover.

The other important job for fall is leaf removal. Clumps or piles of leaves can damage or smother grass. Even small clumps of leaves left on the lawns over winter will leave lots of dead spots next spring.

The last mowing of the season can be set at 2″ to clean up the lawn and allow debris to blow across the grass, not trapping it on the lawn where it can damage the grass.

Before you mothball your mower, trimmer and other equipment be sure to do some preventive maintenance:

1. Clean equipment. Wash, scrub and wipe down all equipment and tools.
2. Sharpen tool and blades that need to be sharp.
3. Sand wood handles and make any repairs necessary.
4. Coat hand tools with a light coating of light motor oil.
5. Remove gas and fuel from power equipment and run engines until they are out of fuel.
6. Store all tools and equipment in a dry environment.

One final task is left for your lawn care season. Take time to assess your lawn. Are there any areas where the grass is thin and there are lots of weeds? Or maybe there is a south-facing slope where the grass is parched or burnt? Any area where grass struggles is a candidate for converting from grass to flower bed, patio. swing set, rock garden, shade garden, rain garden, veggies or other creative uses.

Time spent trying to get grass to grow where it doesn’t want to be is time wasted, not to mention seed, sod, fertilizer and other supplies. A garden, sitting area or even a mulched bed can be more attractive and take a lot less work and that is music to my ears.