If thinking about May brings back fond memories of green grass, then October is a key month for you and your lawn. With October’s warm soil, reduced insect/weed pressure, cooler days, and turf that is storing up energy reserves for winter, there are many beneficial steps you can take now to prepare your lawn for a strong spring start.
- Aerate and Overseed. Without crabgrass and tons of annual weeds germinating, October’s soil is ideal for not only aerating to reduce compaction but adding new grass to help repair drought damage. Larger patches of damage can be top-dressed with loam and seeded at a heavier rate after aerating.
- Spray those hard-to-get weeds like violets and ground ivy. Cooler weather and actively growing weeds make them more susceptible to specialized products, especially at higher rates, to achieve superior results. There are conventional and organic products that truly work wonders if used in the fall.
- Fertilize, especially if you have not done so since spring or summer. Applying a good rate of any slow- release fertilizer without phosphate helps provide the energy your lawn is looking for in its storage phase of life. Like a battery recharging, so is your lawn – so give it some juice for next spring by apply a granular or slow-release liquid fertilizer in October.
- High calcium lime. Not only does lime adjust soil pH, the addition of calcium helps reduce compaction by softening the soil. And our high calcium lime is coated with helpful enzymes to further enhance turf health. Lime annually, but if you’re not sure it needs to be done, have a soil test.
- Potassium. Often overlooked but essential is a supplemental treatment of potassium, especially in sandy soils. With a heavy boost from a 0 0 50 potassium (K) only fertilizer, you will set your lawn up to be better prepared for winter’s cold and ice by thickening the plants’ cell walls.
So this October, help your lawn prepare for those green days of May.