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Filling bare spots in autumn helps prevent weeds
By Jay Romano
New York Times
Published on Saturday, Oct 06, 2007
Just when you thought you were finished with your lawn for the season, along come the experts to send you back again.
''Now is absolutely the best time to prepare your lawn for next year,'' said Frank Rossi, associate professor of turf grass science at Cornell University.
The first thing to do is fill in any bare spots by ''overseeding.''
''Fall is the best time for establishing grass because the soil temperature is cool, and there is a lot less competition from weeds,'' Rossi said.
When he seeds bare spots, he first rakes the area to break up the ground. He then mixes soil, compost and a few handfuls of seed in a bucket, spreads the mixture over the bare spot and tamps it down.
Early fall is the ideal time to seed because the grass will have enough time to get established before winter, said A. Martin Petrovic, the professor of turf grass science at Cornell. Overseeding now will also make it less likely that weeds will get a foothold next year. ''The denser your lawn is, the fewer weeds you will have,'' Petrovic said.
Another thing to do over the next few weeks is to fertilize.
David Beaulieu, the landscaping guide for About.com, an online information bank, said that most home and garden centers are now carrying fertilizers designed for use in the fall.
''You're going to get a balanced fertilizer that has nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium,'' he said, adding that if the fertilizer is put down at the same time as the seed, it will help produce vigorous growth over the next month or so. (Rossi said a good balance for fall would contain 25 percent nitrogen, 3 percent phosphorous and 10 percent potassium.)
Homeowners should also check the soil's pH level and make adjustments if necessary.
Peter Sawchuck, the program leader for lawns and lawn products at Consumer Reports in Yonkers, N.Y., said pH meters are available that homeowners can use. ''If you are willing to pay $40 or so, they tend to work pretty well,'' he said. Homeowners can also send a soil sample to their local cooperative extension office and get a reading for a nominal fee.
The pH level of healthy soil, Sawchuck said, should be between 6.5 and 7; in most cases, if the pH is off, it's going to be on the low side. A reading of 7 is neutral; anything less indicates acidic soil, and if necessary, Sawchuck recommends using granular lime to raise the pH level.
''The bag will tell you how much to put down to raise the level by the right amount,'' he said, adding that granular lime is easier to apply than the powdered variety and slower to dissolve, giving it time to work over the winter.
Beaulieu of About.com said now is also a good time to dethatch the lawn, removing the layer of dead vegetation that collects around the base of the grass and prevents moisture and nutrients from getting to the roots. ''Here is where you can kill two birds with one stone,'' he said. Raking leaves ''robustly'' will clear the leaves away and help remove thatch, too.
Rossi of Cornell said that if thatch is not a problem that is, there is not more than an inch or so of thatch he would not bother trying to get it out and would mulch the dead leaves right into the grass. ''You don't want the leaves smothering the grass,'' he said. ''So just mow without the bag and chop them up.''
Just when you thought you were finished with your lawn for the season, along come the experts to send you back again.
Get the full article here.
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