October is here and it is not too late to work on your lawn! Fall is an excellent time to renovate the lawn and get a jump-start on a beautiful spring yard.

1. Aeration is one of the best things you can do for your lawn. Aerating in the fall will loosen soil, aid in root development, and control thatch. If you’re interested in aeration, contact the Lawn Maintenance unit at Hoerr Nursery (309) 691-4561.

2. Plant new seed to introduce a better quality grass to your lawn. Fall is a great time to lay down new seed, but be sure you get it planted by October 15th!

3. To start the new grass off right, apply a starter fertilizer like Fertilome's New Lawn Starter. To ensure establishment, you must make sure the seed comes in contact with the soil. Apply “topdressing” (a thin layer of soil) over your new seed to make sure it gets the necessary contact. Great quality grass seed for shady or sunny areas can be found at Hoerr Nursery.

4. Bring a soil sample into Hoerr Nursery for a pH test. If the test indicates a need for lime or sulfur to change the soil's pH, fall is a great time to apply. It will be worked into the soil by rain and the freezing and thawing of winter.

5. Get a jump on weed control by applying a liquid spray like Weed Be Gone or a "weed and feed" granular fertilizer like Fertilome's Weed Out.

6. You can continue mowing your lawn until the grass stops growing. Whenever your daily average minimum temperature (normal low) drops below the freezing point, the grass won't be growing appreciably and you can go ahead and do the final mow. You definitely want to get it done before the winter snows start falling!

7. Apply a Winterizing fertilizer to the yard any time between Halloween and Thanksgiving. It will provide a greener, thicker lawn in fall, quicker green up next spring, and increased root development to handle winter stress.

Love your lawn this fall and it will love you back in 2010!

Ella