How to Care For {And Reseed} Your Fall Lawn

Last year at the HOA house, the HH and I spread 5 yards of Tagro over our front and back lawn and then reseeded the lawn with grass seed. We wanted to make sure the lawn {which was looking a little spotty!}, was looking great for when we put the house on the market. We chose to reseed in the fall because the soil was still warm, and we were able to  choose a variety of grass that would germinate only in warmer temperatures.

Plus, the trees were beginning to lose their leaves, so the grass would receive more sunlight, and weeds and diseases that rear their ugly little heads in the spring become much less prevalent. Here are some of the helpful tips we followed during that reseeding process:

• We mixed our seed with equal parts seed to damp sand {we put the whole lot in the spreader}.  It jump starts the germination process.  This can be particularly beneficial if you know that you have a patch of good weather left.
• To ensure that the seeds make contact with the soil and don’t become bird food, we rolled the seed in after spreading it.  Just get a roller and fill it half full of water.
• We added a starter fertilizer that can help make up for less than ideal soil conditions.
• We stayed off the new grass for several weeks–tramping through it can damage its delicate root system.
• We let the grass get up to 4″ tall before mowing for the first time.  When you do mow, mow it to about 2 1/2″ tall.  Allow the grass to stay longer throughout the winter to protect it from cold temperatures.

The grass came in great, and now here we are, a year later in our new home, and we need to reseed our lawn and prep it for winter. Here’s a quick guide on fall lawn care and prepping your lawn for the upcoming chilly weather:

• Lower your lawn blade {keeping your lawn blade higher in the summer protects fragile roots from too much heat}.  Leaving it too high for winter creates an awesome hideout for mice and other rodents–which repay you by destroying your lawn.
• Aerate your lawn.  An aerator is pretty inexpensive–and goes a really long way when you get a group of neighbors who want to go half-sies with you.  It will also prep your lawn to receive a winter feeding.  Fertilizing the lawn before winter gives the grass a much needed boost to ensure strong roots the following year.
• Rake those leaves up off your lawn.  Leaving them there through the winter can lead to fungus and other diseases in the grass {not to mention a perfect hideout for ticks!}.  Imagine the leaves being a blanket that creates a hotbed for unwanted disease.  Rake ’em up and compost them, if you like, just make sure to get them off the lawn.
• Focus on weed control.  Destroying weeds now, whether with an organic weed killer or by hand, will make your job A LOT easier come spring.  All weeds do is compete for nutrients anyway, so kicking them to the curb will do your lawn good!

So there you have some tips on how to reseed and then how to prep your lawn for those loooong winter months. Anything I missed?

~Mavis