Think about what fall brings, besides football. You get cooler temperatures. More dew and rain. And plenty of sunshine. The soil is still warm enough to germinate seeds, but the cool air invites grass to grow a strong root system. That's why fall is the best time for seeding and feeding your lawn. It will look great in the spring, and will be better able to resist weeds and summer stresses.
Your most successful seeding time is right around Labor Day. Seeding 2 weeks before or after that easy-to-remember holiday gives your new seedlings time to build strong roots. In fact, overseeding with grass seed and fertilizer in the fall can make your lawn up to 49% thicker next spring *. Scotts® has a broad range of seed products for your area that produce beautiful, durable lawns.
*2008-2009 Scotts Field Trials, Marysville, OH vs. no treatment
Once you spread your grass seed, keep the ground moist until the new grass is 2 inches tall. Otherwise, the seeds will dry out and die. Also, be sure to use the recommended spreader setting when you seed. This ensures that your new grass gets all the nutrients and moisture it needs to thrive. You can give your new grass a boost by fertilizing with Scotts® Starter® Fertilizer.
Wait a minute. Isn't fall when lawns start to shut down? Why fertilize then? Fall conditions are great for lawns. Grass roots start to store nutrients the grass will need when it wakes up again in the spring. So you want to help those roots grow by fertilizing. Your best bet is to feed once in early fall (if you are overseeding, your starter fertilizer counts) and once more about 6 to 8 weeks later, around Thanksgiving. Scotts® WinterGuard® Lawn Fertilizer is formulated to deliver the nutrients grass needs to get through the winter and come up strong the following year.
Do 2 jobs at once. As your tree leaves start to fall, don't waste time raking them. Instead, mulch them up with your mower and leave them on the grass. Apply your second feeding of Scotts® WinterGuard® after you've mulched most of your leaves, and 2 important things happen: WinterGuard will help break down those leaves and your lawn will look even better in the spring.
