Broadleaf Weed Control with Selective Liquid Herbicide – Because we’ve had regular rainfall throughout the summer, we all have lots of weeds in our lawns at this time. Remove them now, at the end of their growing seasons, with an application (whole lawn if you’ve got a lot of weeds, spot treatment if you only see a few upon close examination of the whole lawn). By killing all perennial weeds at the end of their respective growing season, you’re eliminating next spring’s weed pests: dandelions, plantain, clover, and many more. Liquid broadleaf weed controls are much more effective than their granular counterparts, which is why we have always recommended liquid over granular weed control. And if you’re planning on seeding this fall, apply liquid herbicide first, wait 2 weeks, and then seed. Remember to apply when no rain is in the forecast for at least 12 hours and allow 24 hours before mowing the lawn.
Fertilizing Lawns in Late Summer/Early Fall – Lawns haven’t been fed since spring or early summer and are exhausted from growth. That along with the excessive heat of the summer and dry spell in August, has left many lawns with some turf damage. Thus, they need to be re-invigorated. As we enter the best growing time of the year, it’s essential to fertilize now (early fall), with Lawn Depot heavyweight granular turf food. More importantly, roots will continue to grow through late fall, thus lawns need to be fertilized again in late fall with Lawn Depot WINTERFEAST root thickening turf food. Lawns that are fed twice in the fall will look better, withstand difficult growing conditions better, and remain healthier than those that are not.
Grub Control in August/September – If you did not apply preventative grub control (fertilizer with Mallet/BioAdvanced Complete Insect control) this past spring/early summer, and you had significant beetle activity (Japanese beetles/Masked chafers) in July, you will be well advised to begin scouting for grubs now. Grubs are the larval stage (1/2” white to grayish C shaped worm) of many beetles-primarily the Japanese beetle. Lawn areas that start to turn tan or brown may be due to the feeding of these soil-inhabiting insects. Affected areas may feel spongy under foot or sections may be torn up by skunks, moles or birds feeding on the grubs. Give the turf the “tug test” by pulling up on the grass. If it lifts up easily and the grubs are found, apply BioAdvanced 24 Hour Grub Killer Plus (DYLOX insecticide), and water it into the root zone. DYLOX kills grubs quickly to stop the damage.
Seeding in the Late Summer/Early Fall – It is our very strong opinion (and many others in the turf business) that everyone who cares about their lawn, and wants a nice lawn should do at least SOME SEEDING EVERY FALL. Summer heat, insect damage, weed encroachment, and turf disease all tend to thin out healthy lawns over the summer. Fertilizing helps to thicken damaged turf to some extent, but for most of us, overseeding is still the best way to get our lawns thick and lush again going into the winter and next spring. The Lawn Depot sells several mixes and blends of all the top-rated cool season turfgrasses directly from the west coast growers. We offer both quantity discounts as well as loyalty program discounts. And if you are a Turf Management customer you are entitled to 20% off everything that our store offers!
Controlling Crabgrass, Japanese Stiltgrass, and Yellow Nutsedge – Crabgrass and Japanese stiltgrass are both annual plants; seeds germinate in the spring and plants die in the fall when we get our first frost. The best control for annual grassy weeds is pre-emergent control, the elimination of germinating seeds in the spring. There are now effective post-emergent control products, some are most effective when the weeds are small and newly emerged (early summer). BioAdvanced Extreme Crabgrass Killer however, will kill large crabgrass plants and Japanese stiltgrass.
Yellow nutsedge is a perennial sedge grass that cannot be controlled by broadleaf weed controls, and it can’t be controlled pre-emergently either because it is perennial (lives from year to year). Nutsedge grows in lawns and beds from nutlets (bulbs) that form off the roots of mature plants. The plants can be killed with applications of nutsedge-specific herbicides (Sedge Ender, SedgeHammer) while they are actively growing in late June, July and August. By September, next year’s nutlets have already formed, so killing the plant won’t reduce next year’s problem.
Core Aeration and/or Liming in the Fall – Our acidic soils benefit from regular (annual) applications of pelletized lime to neutralize the acidity, and allow fertilizers to work better. Fall applications of fast acting lime (CAL-TURF PRO) are most effective when applied before November.
Core aeration (pulling soil plugs) reduces soil compaction, thus allowing moisture (irrigation or rainfall) and fertilizer to enter deeper into the plants’ root zones where they’ll do the most good for healthy turf growth. Core aeration can be done whenever soil is soft enough to pull 2”-3” plugs (spring or fall) and the grass is growing actively. Core aerating heavily prior to any seeding is the best way to loosen/cultivate soils for better turfgrass establishment. It creates thousands of pockets where seed will germinate and really breaks up hard, bare areas for much better establishment of young grass. Core aerating regularly is the best thing you can do to build more root growth in our heavy clay soils. If you are interested in a quote for core aeration or liming services, feel free to give us a call or request an estimate via our web site.