The summer months are not the time for lawn renovating-the fall months are. Then why am I writing about it now you are probably asking yourself. I chose to focus on this in this newsletter because it will give you time to start observing your lawn. Summer is a time where lawns can sometimes take a beating. Summer months can get dry. They also can get very hot as we have seen this past week. Grubs have also likely already began their damage to turf roots. Through the summer, observe your lawn. There may be areas that will need to be addressed in the fall.
Plug aerating in the fall months can be beneficial as it will help help decompact soil. It allows for more nutrients like water and air to better penetrate the soil while also allowing fertilizing to be more effective. At this time overseeding can also be done to help thicken your lawn. Overseeding and aerating go well together because the seed is able to fall down into the plugs that have been removed from the lawn and have a place to take root.
Patching is also best done in the fall. If you just want to seed areas that are bare, patching might be your best option. Sometimes all it takes is some scratching of the surface, raking some seed into the soil, and some hay to keep the moisture in. In some circumstances, you may want to put down new topsoil if erosion has occurred and you are left with hardpan.
So why the fall? Fall is often damper than summer months and has cooler days which is what grass likes to grow in. If you are thinking about renovating your lawn this fall, let me know if I can be of any assistance.