Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Fall Lawncare

Hello everyone!

My husband has a lawn and landscape business on the side (as most firefighters have side jobs).  So, when the seasons change,  you can usually find him outside working in our yard to help it along for the upcoming summer. Now, I know we just got done with summer, but did you know that Fall is the best time to plant seed for new grass?  So, if you have some bare spots in your lawn, you might want to take action now.

My husband first scalped the yard by mowing it down to a low 1 1/2 to 2 inches in height.  



Then he used a core aerator to poke holes in the ground to allow grass seed to penetrate the soil.


Here is a close up of the aerator.


You can rent these at your local hardware store and pull them behind your riding mower.

Afterwards, it leaves your lawn looking like this.  See all the holes and plugs of dirt pulled up?


Next, he uses a broadcast spreader to put out grass seed.  


He simply pours the grass seed in it and walks around the yard while it sprinkles it on the yard.

After the seed is put out, he does the same thing with fertilizer.

These are the products he uses.


(Sorry the bags are open and it's hard to read them.)  But basically, you would need to put out the right types for your yard anyway.  So check with your extension agent or someone in the lawn and garden department at a store near you.  It is recommended that you invest in a high quality grass seed and a slow release starter fertilizer.

One other note:  your broadcast spreader should have a mechanism that allows the right amount of product to be put on your yard.  You would need to set that rate based on instructions found on the product bag.


After you have put out your seed and fertilizer, cover any areas that don't have a lot of grass already with wheat straw.  That will keep the seed in place in case you have a heavy rain.


Spread it out and it will look like this.


We've had a bare spot next to our driveway for a while.  My husband finally got around to fixing the problem.  Hopefully, this area will fill in nicely.

Water your grass daily unless you get rain.

Our dog, Max, decided to join us outside too.  He wasn't much help though.  




He loves his outdoor toys!

So, is your yard ready for Fall and Winter?  Working in it now will bring you a better looking lawn this Spring and Summer.

Thanks for stopping by!

~ Kelly ~


14 comments:

Laura @ duke manor farm said...

look how cute max is! we had some chicken manure spread a few months ago which will help our pasture and lawn areas. stinky , but effective.

Deserae said...

You will have beautiful green grass in the springtime :o) We need to reseed our whole yard which we intended to do this fall. However our project has been delayed which in turn means we have to wait to do the yard now. Oh well....
~Des

Ron said...

When we lived in Atlanta, TruGreen used to come out and do this. Our grass was gorgeous. With no yard here, no aeration needed. I cannot wait to see your lawn come spring.

Lisa @ Texas Decor said...

Down here, everyone's grass seems to get chinch bugs in August, then a fungus in September. I'm not sure what my hubby uses, but he treats it pretty quickly. You're smart to take care of your yard now, so it'll be pretty come spring time. I had to laugh at Max with the ball that's bigger than his head! Lol!

Bliss said...

Hey, great idea - I bought a bag of grass seed we never got around to spreading because our spring was nothing but wet. I've got a few bare spots that could be nice by spring if I get on it now.

Junkchiccottage said...

Great Tips. Love seeing Max. He is too adorable.
Kris

Shirley@Housepitality Designs said...

Your lawn must be so wonderful with a "resident landscaper"....we just aerated and seeded our lawn...but by a neighbor who has a landscaping business....Thanks for all of the tips Kelly!

Amy at Ms. Toody Goo Shoes said...

What is it with men and their lawns? My husband is always out there doing something (and I do appreciate it!). We just had it aerated, and I think he put seed down. I've seen straw on some of the neighbors' lawns; now I know why!

NanaDiana said...

There is nothing like a lush healthy green lawn, is there? During our hot months I mow our grass at 3-1/2 or 3-3/4 " height. I have to mow more often but I love how lush it looks.

Max is pretty darned cute! xo Diana

Vickie @ Ranger 911 said...

I'm afraid with all the dried black-eyed Susan seeds that blew onto our lawn, we'll have a field of flowers next spring instead of a lawn! I wish your hubby could give our lawn a little TLC!

Your dog isn't much of a gardener, but he's darn cute!

Unknown said...

Hi Kelly, We just finished getting our yard ready for seed too. My hubby poked the holes with this tool that you have to step on, it was slow going!Fingers crossed for a pretty green lawn!
Sally

Burlap Luxe said...

Your lawn will be beautiful come early summer. So nice to be married to your own personal landscaper :)
I love this time of year when winter planting his taking place settle into what winter brings.

Xx
Dore

Doreen@foxdenrd said...

Our 'lawn' needs to be dug up completely. We were hoping the person doing it was coming this past weekend but nope, he didn't make it.

You're lucky your hubby is skilled in the yard Kelly! Does he have a brother?

This N That said...

In my old house are used to have my grass air rated every fall and then I would overseed it. It was beautiful. Not worth it here. It's not my grass! I do feed it