Things you should do now for a lush, green lawn next spring.
If the summer's brutal heat took a toll on your patch of green, there are a few things you can do this fall for gorgeous grass come spring. For starters, get ready to reseed: As the TOH How to Seed a Lawn Step-by-Step explains, fall's cooler temperatures prevents seed from drying out, but there's still enough sun and rain to help them germinate before going into hibernation for the winter, without the competition of crabgrass and other weeds that die off this time of year. Keep reading for more on what you can do this fall to repair your lawn for next spring, and learn about a new lawn seed for low-maintenance blades. (They grow slow so you can mow susbstantially LESS!)__Tabitha Sukhai, thisoldhouse.com
A big, and often overlooked, part of fall seeding is testing soil pH. Truth is, no soil is ready for seed without the right pH; all of your work will be for naught. You can pick up an easy DIY soil test to determine how to amend your soil for optimal growing conditions. For more on this important step, see Step 1 in How to Seed a Lawn. Learn more in TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook's How-To Video How to Test Soil.
Meantime, as you navigate the seed brands at the home center, consider Pearl's Premium Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seed. The drought-resistant seed variety, created by scientist and environmental expert Jackson Madnick, is the result of eight years of research. Pearl's Premium, says Madnick, grows at a quarter of the rate of blue grass, requiring mowing about once a month rather than every week. Best part, you don't have to seed a new lawn to enjoy the benefits of Pearl's Premium; you can just cut yor exisiting grass very short and overseed. Use organic fertilizer and water only until the lawn is established and get on the road to saving yourself some cash by conserving water--and lowering landscape stress, by elimintaing the need for application of chemical fertilizers and regular mowing. Sold? Find a store at the Pearl's Premium website.
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