As the growing season winds down, early fall is a good time to tackle lawn care. The cooler, often rainier days of September are ideal for helping grass grow and recover from the hot, dry days of summer.
Early fall is when turf grass has a chance to strengthen its roots and store energy and nutrients for winter. Working on the turf now will give it a good chance of healthy spring growth. Here are some core tasks for your September lawn care list.
1. Aerate the Soil
Aeration is a chore that too many homeowners neglect. It may sound tedious, but this one task can do so much for your lawn:
- Decrease compaction in the soil
- Allow more air and oxygen to get to the roots
- Improve the movement of water and nutrients through the soil
- Reduce excessive thatch
- Promote strong root growth
Aerating your lawn in September sets your grass up for success when it comes to building stronger roots that will help it survive winter and thrive next spring and summer.
Your choice of aeration method will depend on the size of your lawn and your budget. You can pay a landscaping service to do it, but you can totally do it yourself. Wayfair sells Lawn Aerator Shoes and Home Depot has a handheld 15 Tine Spike Aerator, both manual aerators that are your best bet for a small yard.
If you have a larger lawn or have a lot of soil compaction, you'll want a core aerator, which removes plugs of soil. This Tow Plug Aerator from Home Depot will get the job done.
2. Overseed and Fix Bare Patches
If your lawn is looking a little thin or has bare areas, now is the time to put down grass seed. Even if your lawn isn’t particularly bare, overseeding now can help boost the density after summer wear and tear. In September, in most regions, the soil is still warm enough to allow grass seed to germinate, and the cooler weather reduces the stress on grass seedlings as they grow.
Start with the right grass seed or seed mix. Ideally, it will match whatever you have in your lawn now. Prepare the lawn for seeding by cutting it to about two or two-and-a-half inches (5 to 7.5 cm). Rake the lawn, removing leaves and at least some of the thatch to allow grass seed to make contact with the soil.
This Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Mix on Amazon is a good general option for lawns in the Northern US.
The O.M. Scott and Sons Bermudagrass Mix, also on Amazon, will do well in Southern yards.
Use a broadcaster to spread seeds evenly across the lawn. If you only have a few bare patches, you can scatter seeds by hand. Water the lawn daily for a few weeks. Once the grass is well established, you can reduce watering.
3. Fertilize the Grass
A few lawn fertilizer tips - fall is the best time to fertilize a lawn in northern climates. Cool-season grasses, like fine fescue and Kentucky bluegrass, respond best to feeding at this time of year. If you live in a warmer region and grow warm-season grasses, like zoysia or St. Augustine, don’t feed grass until spring.
For many lawns, feeding in fall boosts root growth and allows grass to store energy and nutrients. This will keep it healthy through winter dormancy and into spring. A slow-release grass fertilizer is a good choice for September, as it will continue to feed the turf throughout the fall. Use a spreader and follow the product instructions for the best results.
For an organic option, try Garden Magic Compost and Manure from Amazon.
If you want to go the synthetic route, try Scott's Turf Building, available on Amazon or Scott's Liquid Turf Builder, also on Amazon.
4. Tackle Weed Control
Just like grass, broadleaf weeds in your lawn are trying to develop strong roots and store nutrients in the fall. Now's the time to stop them in their tracks. When you apply an appropriate herbicide in September, the weeds will carry it to their roots along with the nutrients they’re storing. This is the ideal time to manage and reduce these weeds.
There are countless products available for broadleaf weeds. The best lawn herbicides contain more than one herbicide to kill a greater variety of weeds. Follow the instructions carefully for whichever type you choose.
If you don’t like to use chemical weed killers, using organic herbicides is a good alternative. Or, if you want to get your hands dirty, this is a good time of year to tackle weeds by pulling them manually.
No matter what, keep in mind that everything else you do to improve your lawn in September creates healthier turf that is naturally more resistant to weed growth.
5. Keep Watering
Watering grass is so important in the summer months if you want it to stay green. But your job doesn't end with summer. Here are some September lawn watering guidelines.
Lots of homeowners assume that they no longer need to water once fall begins. This isn’t true, although you can certainly reduce watering amount and frequency.
Keeping your lawn hydrated this month will help the grass do all the work of storing energy and growing roots that will help it come back strong in spring. As the temperatures cool and you see more rainy days, you can definitely decrease watering from summer highs.
Unless it rains, aim to water the lawn once or twice a week in September. Water more frequently if conditions are dry. The best time to water grass is in the morning, before 10:00. This allows the soil and roots to absorb moisture. Less will be lost to evaporation.
These are the must-do September chores for maintaining a healthy, lush lawn. Also remember to adjust your mowing height. Cut the grass lower and keep cutting it until it stops growing. Cool-season grasses generally stop growing when daytime highs are consistently 50 degrees Fahrenheit (10 Celsius) and lower.
