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Fall is the best time to seed your lawn
Fall is the best time of year for establishing a new lawn, or for overseeding thin spots in an existing lawn. Why? Grass thrives in cooler temperatures, and weeds don’t! As long as the soil temperature will remain above 50 degrees, your grass seed will germinate. In our part of the country, that usually means from late August, until early October, so don’t wait. You still have plenty of time to get your lawn in good shape.
Prepare the soil
Whether you’re starting a new lawn, or filling in bare spots, the place to start is with the soil. Test the soil with an inexpensive pH test kit (less than $3.00) or bring us a coffee-can sized sample, and we can test it for free. Grass grows best with a soil pH of 6.5. If you haven’t treated your lawn with lime, it’s likely to be much more acidic. You can raise the pH quickly by applying Magical® calcium fertilizer from Jonathan Green. Slower adjustments may be made by spreading lime on your lawn.
Grass seed must be in direct contact with the earth to germinate. If you’re starting a new lawn, that means rototilling the area to be seeded, then raking it to drain away from your house. For bare spots, loosen up the soil with a garden rake.
Don’t forget the fertilizer
Next, spread a seed-starting fertilizer according to the package directions. For successful results, always use a lawn spreader.
Spread the seed
Use your lawn spreader to apply the seed at the rate recommended on the package. Remember, grass seed needs direct contact with the earth to germinate. If you have a lawn roller, it’s a good idea to lightly pass over the seeded areas. You can achieve almost the same results by lightly dragging a metal tine lawn rake upside down over the entire seeded area. You’re not trying to plant the seed deeply, only to get it into the top ¼-inch of soil.
Water regularly
The new seedbed must be kept moist. That usually means watering twice a day for several weeks—or at least until the seed has germinated and is growing well. Wait 6 to 8 weeks, and then apply a wintering fertilizer to help your lawn to be ready for the spring.
Tips
- A quick, efficient way to apply seed evenly and in good contact with the soil is to use a slice-seeder made just for that purpose. They’re available from Koopman’s equipment rental departments.
- Never mix the seed and fertilizer to apply in one pass. It’s impossible to get a consistent mix, and you won’t have the right application rate. Take the time to make separate passes for good results.
- You’ll also see some weeds grow. Those weed seeds usually came from the soil, not from the grass seed. Don’t worry about them now; there’s plenty of time to deal with them after the grass is established—even next spring.
To lime or not to lime…
Due to the acidity of the New England soil, almost every lawn can benefit from raising the pH of the soil. Raising pH allows the soil to release nutrients to the plant (grass). If the pH is too low or too high, the soil essentially carries a static charge that holds onto nutrients. Lime is calcium carbonate. It is the calcium portion of this compound that when released into the soil, changes the pH and allows these nutrients to be accessible to the plant. It takes months for the calcium carbonate to decay in the soil to the point of releasing all the calcium. Today, we have a product called Magical, which is all calcium, no carbonate. This product is cheaper, starts working on contact, and is much less work than traditional lime (you can spread 50# of product instead of 500# of lime). When you need to raise your pH, it really makes sense to use Magical.
What’s the biggest mistake folks make in the Spring?
Using Step 1 crabgrass control while seeding. Step 1 stops ALL grass seeds from successfully germinating. Rule of thumb, don’t use any control products when seeding grass. The exceptions are products called Step 1 for Seeding. These are much more expensive, but do the job to control crabgrass, and help seed growth. An alternative is to simply control crabgrass with a spray bottle in the areas you seed.
When should I apply Step 1 crabgrass control?
When the forsythia bloom. These bright yellow bushes bloom in the same conditions that crabgrass germinates and are very prevalent in our area. Too early and the vapor barrier is diminished before the crabgrass wants to germinate, too late and the control will not work on crabgrass already growing. Jonathan Green’s Step 1 works for a longer period than other brands.
What is the toughest step to apply?
Step 2 Weed Control must be applied to damp or wet grass, and must not rain (or be watered) for 24 hours after application. The very best timing is to apply in the early morning on a dew-soaked lawn. The control agent MUST contact the broadleaf weed in order to kill it.
What’s the biggest mistake people make with regard to Grub control?
Timing. Season Long grub control products like Grubex need to be applied in the first 2 weeks of June. Grubex is a systemic control agent – this means the plant absorbs the active ingredient, then the grub eats the plant and dies. Grubex works best when the young grub larvae has just hatched and is feeding on the roots of the grass. This typically occurs in August. So in order for the control to be present in the roots of the grass in August, Grubex must be applied in early June. If applied too early, the control agent has already been diffused from the plant before the baby grub eats it.
If I have grubs NOW, what can I do?
We have a contact grub killer from Bayer called 24 hour Dylox grub control. It only works for 24 hours, but will kill every grub it comes in contact with and then no longer be active.
Search for DIY project ideas and tips
Wondering if you have those sonic rodent deterents and if you know if they are effective—I have a mole/gopher problem and the granules only seem to help for a while and are expensive.
Hi Mike. Great question!
General: Moles burrow underground, and are generally regarded as pests for the damage they do to lawns, creating raised tunnels. Moles do not eat plants or roots, but primarily worms and other insects. Though it’s not their primary food, they will feed on grubs, so treating your lawn with a grub control product may help.
We stock the following products:
Sweeney’s® Mole & Gopher Sonic Spikes.
These spike generate a sonic pulse pattern that disturbs the moles, and sends them packing. The device requires 3 Size-D batteries which must be replaced about every 6 months. Additionally, the device must be removed from the ground if flooding or freezing is anticipated. They are regarded as effective. One package contains 2 spikes, and will cover a 15,000 SQ FT unobstructed area.
MoleMax®
MoleMax® works to repel moles (&gophers, skunks, rabbits, armadillos) in lawns, flower beds, and gardens. The active ingredient is Castor Oil, so it is as safe, as well as effective. One treatment lasts up to 3 months. A 10LB bag will treat a 5,000 SQ FT area.
MoleTox® II
MoleTox® is poison bait for moles in lawns and other non-crop areas. The active ingredient is Zinc Phosphide. One teaspoon treats an active burrow or tunnel.
How do I begin to start a raised garden?
Several things to consider: location (sunlight), soil, construction (materials), purpose (vegetable or flower)? There are MANY options when you consider all those things. We’re happy to chat by phone, or stop by one of the stores to discuss options. Feel free to email feedback@koopmanlumber.com with a phone number and we’ll be happy to give you a call if you prefer. Thanks for checking with us!
Can the grub controls listed be used on already wet lawns? Also what order should I use grub controls and crabgrass/weed control?
I don’t believe there is any reason you wouldn’t be able to use most grub controls on a damp lawn. Most controls don’t recommend application on a fully saturated lawn. But it’s always best to read the package carefully with any control product. If you know which one, I’d be happy to investigate further.
The second question deals with timing. One of the most common “errors” folks make is applying grub control too early. For our area, you don’t want to apply season long (systemic) grub control before June 1. If you irrigate, wait until June 15. These controls only work after the egg has been laid, hatched and feeding begins. Feeding begins in late summer. If you apply too early, the active ingredient has dissipated from the grass before the baby grubs feed – which is when Grubex and similar controls actually kill them.
Crabgrass control should go down now when the forsythia bloom. Jonathan Green’s crabgrass control (step 1) can be used later because it has a pre AND post emergent control. Here’s the other tricky part, most weed controls (like both step 2’s we carry) needs to actually contact the weed. It’s not a pre-emergent control. It’s recommended to apply when the lawn is damp (morning dew is ideal) and no rain for 24 hours after application. I’ve started seeing weeds already and I just put my step one down. But you can’t fertilize again for about 6 weeks after you apply step 1. Fortunately, we have a lot of other weed control options that don’t have fertilizer in them. So you might consider one of these options between feeding steps.
Sorry for the long reply – but great questions everyone is facing.
I have been using a “four step” process for the last several years. I apply the first step when the forsythia bloom and they generally tell you not to apply the second step (weed control) for another two months. The problem is the dandelions come up only a couple of weeks after I apply step 1. Shouild I apply the second step anyway or is there another way to combat this?
This is one of the most common issues with the four step approach – one I encountered on my own lawn this year. To address weeds when you can’t fertilize, there are a few options. My recommendation is the Bonide Weed Beater Complete granule without fertilizer. (They have it with fertilizer too). This is a very effective broad spectrum pre and post emergent weed AND crabgrass control. It’s a fantastic compliment to the four step program. Other options include liquid concentrates and ready to use liquids. But to hit 15,000 sq ft – the granules are much more effective, tackle many more problems, and last a lot longer.
do i need to apply insect control in the fall to my lawn?
If you see evidence of grubs, you can apply Bayer 24 hour grub control now to kill them immediately. Evidence would include holes that crows and skunks might make to dig up the luscious pests, or large dead portions of grass where the feeding grubs have eaten the roots. If you put down Grubex too early in the year (before June) then it might have lost some effectiveness. If you have ant damage or issues, we have a treatment for that as well. Scotts Step 3 no longer has this control in it because they felt most people didn’t need it. So in summary, unless you are seeing problems, you’re probably all set with just a feeding.