Cool season and warm season grasses are treated a bit differently this time of year. But nonetheless, both could benefit from some maintenance to ensure they grow lush next spring.

The cooler weather is a great time to overseed a fescue lawn. This can help it overcome bare spots, either due to traffic, disease, or compacted soil. It’s best to aerate the soil before seeding. This ensures good seed-to-soil contact, which means good germination!

Even though warm season lawns, like Bermuda and Zoysia, are ready to go dormant, they’ll come out of dormancy next spring the way they are now. Put them to bed healthy!

There’s still time to maintain proper watering and mowing techniques, and apply a fungicide that will have about a 3 - 4 week residual, to get the lawn into dormancy.

NG Turf recommends trying these lawn-smart tips before winter sets in:

• Keep mowing while your grass is growing. Do not change the mowing height from how you’ve been mowing all summer.

• Mulch those leaves with your mower instead of bagging—your grass will thank you!

• Patch bare spots with fresh sod so they fill in before spring.

• Watch for lawn diseases like powdery mildew in shady or damp areas. Fungicides are only good as preventatives, not as a curative treatment.

• Water wisely—even dormant grass needs moisture during dry spells. Generally, all lawns need about 1″ of water per week, even in dormancy.

• Apply a preemergence herbicide to block winter weeds before they become a problem in a couple of months.

A little effort this fall = a greener, healthier lawn come spring.

NG Turf shares their full Fall Lawn Prep Guide here.

This month’s Turf Tip is brought to you by NG Turf– Fresh, Certified Sod Backed by Expert Advice.

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