To truly make your cool season lawn as healthy as possible for next
summer, fall fertilization is very important. Next to keeping the leaves of all
fall, fertilization with 100% (or as much as you can find) slow release nitrogen
(U-flexx, U-Maxx, Nutralene, MESA or any organic source) is by far what I
consider to be the best. At 1-2 pounds of nitrogen per 1000 ft. sq.
Try to either mow up the leaves or blow them off the grass before
applying. It’s not the end of the world if you apply fertilizer over the
leaves, but if you can the do the right thing and remove the leaves first, you
should have better results. This application guarantees a nice fall green color
and spring green up that won’t “blast” out of the soil. The nitrogen source is
stored in the roots and eases out the ground. It also allows you to use little
to no nitrogen in the spring. We’ll suggest using a 7-0-22 or even a 0-0-7 with
dimension (crab grass preventer) next spring (March –April). Not a lot of
nitrogen in either of those, but you won’t need it if you use the 100% slow
release product the previous fall. It’s a “Program” not a one shot cures all
approach.
Other things you can be doing this month:
*Keep mowing at 2 1/2 to 2 ¾ inches all fall
*Spot spray weeds if needed with “Ester” formula herbicides (they
work very well in cool weather…read your labels for more information)
*Trap or poison moles if needed. They are really moving a lot right
now and are easy to control. (Notice I didn’t say “get rid” of. All we can do
is control what is there now, because more are coming not matter what we do.
Kind of like “voles” as well. No such thing as total eradication, just
temporary control)
*I’ll remind you to remove leaves every 2-4 days, one more time.
It’s that important!
*Winterize your irrigation system.
*Plan on winterizing your lawn mower. I have a Honda which allows
me to add fuel stabilizer, run it for a minute and then “shut off” the gas flow
to the engine. Read your manual!
November is great month to plan your Holiday gift giving to those less fortunate.
It only takes about 15 seconds to read the paper or go on line and see someone
in need. I prefer to support local chapters of charities. My father-in-law
always supported “Our Ladies Inn”. My wife volunteers there and has brought
home some interesting stories. Between the USO and Our Ladies Inn, we have both
found something that appreciates our time. I hope you can find that someday
too.
Remember folks, it’s just grass!
Glenn
