Bluegrass Lawncare

09/10/2015

There is only a short window in the early fall to do seeding. Rule of thumb is, seed sunny areas in the fall, and heavy shade areas in the spring.

09/10/2015

09/10/2015

Aeration, raking and lawn care

The best way to get rid of thatch is regular aeration and good lawn care practices. Aeration should be done every year or two, depending on the severity of the thatch, the condition of the lawn and how much foot traffic there is on the grass. Aeration can be done in spring or fall.

Raking also is an option for removing thatch. You can use a regular garden rake to pull out the dead grass and thatch. This is hard, time-consuming work and recommended only for small sections. For larger areas, power or mechanical rakes are available for rent or purchase. And, while these are efficient and quick, you need to be careful not to damage the grass that is healthy or tear up the soil.

Regular aeration reduces or eliminates the need for raking thatch. Make sure to set the mechanical rake's controls properly. Once the thatch is removed, the lawn may not look good. Overseeding to fill in bare or thin spots in the lawn may be needed.

To prevent thatch buildup, use a high quality, slow release nitrogen fertilizer, and mow to keep the grass about 3 inches tall.

09/10/2015

Tips for Late Season Lawn Care

After the grass has gone dormant and you have put away the lawn equipment, there are still a few things you can do to keep your lawn in top condition.

Don't allow leaves to accumulate on the grass. Leaves, especially large ones like maple, sweet gum and sycamore, can smother the lawn, killing the grass. Rake the leaves or chop them up with a mulching mower.
If summer and fall were dry in your area, make sure to water the lawn deeply two or three times before the ground freezes.
Avoid walking on frost-laden lawns until the frost melts. Walking on frozen grass can damage or break the blades, causing them to turn brown.