Today we slice seeded and added the early fall fertilizer to your lawn. We’ve been working to improve the soil through the year, and now is the time when we can finally reap the benefits. After all the heat of the summer, we want your lawn looking its best in the fall.

Like humans (73 years) and bristlecone pine (up to 5,000 years and counting), the lawn has a life expectancy, Without being maintained, perennial grasses will live for 4 to 7 years. Unlike us humans, who try to stave off old age with exercise and face creams, a lawn can be resuscitated. With good soil, a decent amount of water, nutrients and favorable environmental factors, the grass can live indefinitely. Otherwise, it will revert to the abandoned lot look. Some prairies and pastures have existed for thousands of years. Of course, they are not mowed once a week and are able to produce seeds.

We’re here to renew and rejuvenate the lawn. Core aeration opens up the soil to allow air and water to penetrate and stimulates root growth. As the lawn ages, new seed is the fountain of youth.

In lawns as in life, Voltaire’s maxim, “Don’t let theperfect be the enemy ofthe good”,rings true. Lawn grasses slows down in the summer. Crabgrass speeds up. If it pops up in your lawn, don’t worry, it will go away. Crabgrass dies at the first frost and only regenerates from seed. At least it is green. Crab grass was an important food source in the Stone Age. It was brought to America by the government in 1849 as forage for animals. Each plant produces 150,000 seeds.

Crabgrass seeds require lots of light to germinate. A thick stand of turf is the best defense for limiting summer annual weeds. Make sure that the lawn is being cut high at 3” to 3 ½”. Scalping the lawn will expose the soil, damage the grass and create a perfect launching pad for weeds. Remember, the weed seeds stay in the soil for years, waiting to pounce. Keep your lawn mower blades sharp, which ensures the turfgrass recovers quickly from mowing.

Normally it’s best to water deeply and infrequently but if you’re trying to germinate grass seed, a light 10-
minutee watering a few times a day is what you want. The seed we planted today will do best if kept moist. It’s too late for annual weeds to propagate. This is the time for cool season grasses, which do best in the spring and the fall. If we get some regular rain, the seed should germinate just fine on its own. We also applied soy fertilizer to help promote the fall growth spurt and get new plants off to a fast start.