Easy seasonal tips that will make neighbors envy your yard
Even though cooler weather has arrived, your lawn still needs a little TLC to ensure that it looks great next spring. “The biggest lawn care mistake most homeowners make this time of year is doing nothing,” confirms lawn expert Charles Harris of national sod supplier Harmony Brands. “Much like a bear preparing to hibernate for winter, your lawn also needs attention right now. Don’t wait until spring then assume you can just dump a bunch of chemicals on your lawn to make it healthy.”
Cool-season grasses
It may seem a little counter-intuitive, but in the country’s colder northern regions, lawns are entering into their growing season. “Cool season grasses don’t like the summer heat,” Harris comments. He recommends these simple steps for ensuring your lawn thrives during the winter months:
- Rake or mulch those leaves. “Many parts of the northern U.S. had a cool, wet summer. That can promote disease. Hardwood or deciduous leaves aren’t harmful to your lawn as long as you mulch them, so that the grass can get sunlight. Otherwise you’ll have dead spots. Pine straw, however, can be acidifying so you need to get the needles off your yard.”
- “This is a great time to give your grass room to breathe, and for its roots to grow. Punching holes in the soil helps to get oxygen into the root zone, and relieves compaction, making it easier for the grass to put down roots and thrive next spring.”
- “Your lawn needs to store potassium for the winter, so it will come out healthy and strong in the spring. Choose a winterizing fertilizer where the last number is higher, such as a 22-0-18.”
- Yes, you can mow after a frost. “Just be cautious. Wait until the blades are not frozen, then cut off no more than a third at a time. If you need to take off more, do it gradually.”
- Re-sod or seed. “Fall is a great time to re-sod or seed any sparse or bare areas. If you wait until spring, you’ll have less time for the roots to get established before the summer heat arrives.”
- Go ahead and lay new sod, as long as the ground isn’t yet totally frozen. “As long as you can properly prepare the ground for new sod, you’re still okay. After the ground freezes, air pockets can form underneath the new sod and the grass won’t root until it thaws. Choose a variety developed and grown for your region. For example, if you live in a snowy climate, salt from the deicing chemicals can be hard on turf. While there are of course limitations, Harmony Brands has developed varieties for the colder climates that are more salt-tolerant.”
Spending just a little time on your lawn this fall may save you more time next spring because your lawn will emerge healthier and better looking.
For additional information, including a place to ask the pros about lawn care problems that have you stumped, visit www.HarmonyBrands.com.
Biography: Charles Harris
Charles Harris is an owner of Sandhill Turf in Candor, NC, co-founder of Buy Sod, Inc., and co-founder Harmony Brands, LLC. He has served as Buy Sod’s president since its establishment in 2002.
After graduating from college in 1993, Harris began working in sales for Sandhill Turf. In 1996, he moved to Pinehurst and became general manager of the family business and led the company through an expansion from 150 acres to over 800 acres of certified turfgrass production. In 2002, Harris co-founded Buy Sod, Inc. which now has eight company farms and more than 30 retail partner growers distributing sod to thousands of big box retail locations throughout the Southeast, Northeast, and Midwest United States. He has served as president of the North Carolina Sod Producers Association (NCSPA), board member of Turfgrass Council of North Carolina (TCNC), and president and board member of the North Carolina Crop Improvement Association. Together with leading sod producer Bethel Farms, LLC, Harris formed Harmony Outdoor Brands, LLC in 2014, a national network of certified sod producers, and the nation’s largest retail supplier of premium grass sod to major home improvement retailers.
