Lifestyles

Most years, the end of the grass-cutting season brings a sigh of relief, but this year that is accompanied by a groan of worry.

The last two full months of summer have been hot and dry. The lawns that were looking impressive in May have gone flat, brown and sometimes weedy and bare.

Fear not. With a little care, some wisdom and help from the skies, the grassy expanses that are the objects of homeowners' pride will return next spring, unsullied by the wear of summer.

"Mother Nature will take over with rain in the fall and snow in the winter," says Jason Ray, owner of the Lawn Doctor franchise in Irwin. "We'll see what happens in the spring."

Jim Guesman, director of sales for the E.H. Griffith Co. in Swissvale, says it has been "a very tough year with the heat and the lack of rain," but believes a comeback is only a few steps away.

E.H. Griffith supplies material and equipment to lawn-care firms, and Guesman has to deal with a variety of lawn-maintenance issues.

Guesman, Ray and other professionals all agree aeration is a can't-miss proposition, but ideas on weed control can vary. Even the timing of some moves will present some differing concepts.

But Ray Simeone, head of Eden Landscaping in Worthington, Armstrong County, says one of most major elements of helping lawns though this tough season probably has passed.

"I tell people — always — to use common sense," he says, his voice rising in earnestness. "Why would you feel compelled to cut your grass when it is drying up? But they did."

Even if those mistakes have been committed, this still is a good time to start making amends for next year.

"Fall is the best time to care for the lawn," says Margie Radebaugh, director of horticulture and education at the Phipps Conservatory & Botanical Garden in Oakland.

The steps to take

There is some dispute about the wisdom, timing and safety in using herbicides, but other steps tend to meet more uniform response.

• Aeration is seen as basically a must every two years. It opens the soil by pulling out plugs of earth, allowing moisture and grass seed to find productive homes. Simeone says many homeowners hire a firm to come in and aerate the lawn because the machines can be heavy and difficult to transport, but he says the job is simple and an easy rental project. Any form of aerating or dethatching should be done between Aug. 15 and Oct. 15, Radebaugh says.

• Overseeding is at the root of the grass-growing effort. Overseeding is the spreading of grass right onto the surface of an existing lawn, without turning over or digging up the soil.

Peter Landschoot, professor of turf grass science at Penn State University's Centre County campus, says flat grass patches give away a problem area as much as bare spots and require the soil to be turned over either with a steel rake or a thatching machine. That job should have been done by the last week of August, but he says it is possible to get away with it now. That should be followed with a planting of some premium rye grass to provide a near-immediate cover and then followed in mid-September by blue grass.

The latter takes about 21 days to germinate, he says, so all this is being done with the schedule of cutting the grass two to three times before the season gets too cold and wet to continue.

Ray and others agree with the timing. It is important, he and Guesman say, to get the grass planted and growing before the winter, when it can go dormant and stay healthy for the spring.

• Weeding easily is the most contentious issue. Guesman suggests grass will be strong enough to withstand a herbicide two to three weeks after overseeding, particularly if the grass is growing in a fertile, aerated lawn. Simeone insists herbicides are going to harm any newly planted grass and herbicide work should be done before overseeding. Landschoot suggests it would be better to use some pre-emergent herbicides in the spring rather than possibly traumatizing new grass in the fall.

Kokouvi Danklou from Scott's Miracle-Gro headquarters in Ohio agrees new grass is weak but adds that weeding is not a big deal.

"In the fall and winter, most weeds will die, so unless you have a real weed issue, you don't have to use a herbicide in the fall," he says.

Concern about chemicals in herbicides also emerges. Radebaugh is opposed to anything other than natural herbicides such as some vinegar-based products.

The whole weed issue is bigger this year because the heat and dryness forced grass into dormancy and "provided no competition" in the soil to the growth of weeds and crabgrass, Guesman says.

Sean DesLauriers, owner of TLC Landscaping and Nursery in Lower Burrell, says a homeowner has to make a decision on what the property needs most.

"You have to pick and choose," he says. "Do you want to kill weeds or grow grass?"

• Fertilization is a step to help the healthy grass last through winter. It is important to get all of the work done and the fertilizer on the lawn by Oct. 15 to beat the oncoming wet and cold. Landschoot reminds grass-keepers to make sure they follow the recommended spreader settings. More is not better, he adds. Radebaugh points out that a light coat of compost also is a good way to feed and protect the lawn.

Remember, spring is only months away.

• Most Read
• Most E-mailed
• Latest News