Get your lawn ready for fall grass planting

As counter-intuitive as it seems, the warm months are not the best time to plant grass seeds.  Grasses have a shallow root system that takes time to establish.  The long, hot, sunny days of summer can not only damage your tender, new grass seedlings, but they also contribute little to  root growth.

Root growth most often takes place during the winter when everything looks "dead."  Truth be told, while it appears to our eyes that "nothing is happening", that could not be further from the truth.  While our plants are dormant above ground, they are busy underground, using stored up energy from the summer to establish healthy root systems.

Most grasses have shallow roots.

So too with grass.  Many people find that they are having to reseed their lawns each spring because the beautiful, rich lawns they planted the year before have not survived.  This presents a tremendous waste of money and effort.  The best thing to do is endure the ugly lawn during the summer and plant your grass seedlings in the fall.  The pay-off will be worth it when you not only have a fabulously lovely lawn, but one that is hardy and more weather resistant.

 What you can do to prepare your lawn for fall planting:

1. Test your soil's acid level.  Acidic soil (or soil with a low pH) is problematic for grass and if you find that your soil has a high acid level, this can be easily remedied with pelletized lime.  For best results, thoroughly mix your soil with the lime and a good fertilizer.  You almost can't use too much lime.
2. Aerate the soil.
   
3. Spread the grass seed evenly across your soil.
4. Lightly rake the area to get the best possible seed and soil contact.
5. Cover the area with straw, to hold in moisture.  There is no need to remove the straw once the seeds germinate.
6. Keep the top half inch of the soil moist. Until the seeds germinate and emerge, it is necessary to keep the top half inch moist.  This may require watering daily.
7. You may begin mowing your grass as soon as it is long enough to mow, but be careful not to mow more than 1/3 of the top growth in a single cutting.  For best results, plant the grass early enough so that it gets mowed 2-3 times before the cold sets in.

For more information, the Agricultural Cooperative Extension in Burlington is offering a free Lawn Care workshop that is open to the public:

	Lawn Care workshop August 26th, 2010 @ 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM Burlington, NC
	It's prime time for lawn care. Horticulture Agent, Mark Danieley shows and tells all about establishing and maintaining healthy turf in your landscape. FREE. Registration required. 336-570-6740 Class will be repeated at 7PM Event Location Agriculture Building auditorium 209 North Graham-Hopedale Road Burlington, NC 27217 Contact Christine Stecker at (336) 570-6740