Fall lawn care

University of Minnesota

Extension

It is time to start thinking about our fall lawn care. Your actions this fall will directly impact the health of your lawn next spring.

Early September is the best time of the year to plant grass seed if needed.  The grass seed will germinate readily, and the cooler soil will encourage it to develop a good root system that will carry it through the winter. You will need to water the grass seed on a regular basis to ensure germination. Seeding now allows for grass to establish better than in the spring when grass seed must compete with germinating weed seeds. Be cautious of seed mixtures that contain a high amount of annual seeds, as those plants will not survive the winter.

If you wish to eliminate weeds in your lawn, autumn is the time to control perennial broad-leaved weeds such as common dandelion, creeping charlie and plantain. Be sure to do a lawn assessment prior to deciding if treatment is needed. Perennial weeds move the sugars produced in the leaves to underground roots or rhizomes for the winter and to fuel next year’s growth during the fall months. This movement of sugars continues as long as the plants are not killed by frost and 50-75% of their leaves are still green and actively growing. Herbicides that are systemic and move within the plant are carried with the sugars to effectively kill the plants at the root in the fall. Although the death of weeds may not be obvious in the fall, most of them will not come back next spring. Spot spraying or hand-pulling is generally better than applying herbicide to the entire lawn. Take caution when using chemicals and always read and follow the label.

For an improved lawn in the spring, use the autumn months to take care of seeding and weed control. For a full lawn care calendar, you can visit www.extension.umn.edu. If you have questions or would like more information about fall lawn care please reach out to your local Extension educator. Residents in Fillmore and Houston counties can call (507)765-3896 or (507)725-5807 or email wins0115@umn.edu.