Watering Mistakes

Water provides the necessary hydration for grass to thrive, influencing nutrient uptake, root development and overall resilience against environmental stressors.

Not Watering Enough

Homeowners often underestimate the amount of water their lawns need. Insufficient watering causes grass to develop shallow roots, limiting moisture and nutrient absorption. Underwatering and shallow root systems leave your grass vulnerable, and hot and dry periods can quickly result in drought stress. As these issues compound, your grass is more likely to brown, thin or be overrun with weeds.

Signs of underwatering include:

• Dry and brittle grass
• Wilting grass or plants
• Fading foliage color
• Lasting footprints or tracks in the grass

Proper watering doesn’t necessarily mean watering more frequently — it’s more important that water deeply penetrates underground and into the roots. The exact water frequency and volume depends on your local climate, grass species, season and other factors, but most lawns need 1-1.5 inches of water per week.

Avoid watering from late morning to early evening — direct sun exposure and hot temperatures accelerate evaporation. Instead, optimize your lawn’s hydration by watering early in the morning. Consider an irrigation system that offers even coverage tailored to your property’s needs.

Watering Too Much

On the other hand, overwatering is a common error that can have serious detriments for your lawn’s health. Many homeowners mistakenly believe more water equates to healthier grass, but too much of a good thing poses several potential problems. 

Watering too much oversaturates your yard, especially when it lacks drainage, blocking oxygen from circulating to your grass roots and suffocating them. The grass roots consequently decay — a condition known as root rot — causing the grass to weaken and eventually die off. Overly wet conditions also create ideal environments for fungal diseases, such as take-all root rot and pythium blight, which similarly kill off root systems and can spread quickly throughout your lawn.

Overwatering can also harm the general soil conditions. Saturated soil is easily compacted, hindering root development and access to nutrients, water and oxygen. Excess water can also wash away important nutrients and lead to deficiencies. Weeds are tougher than grass and can thrive and overgrow in these conditions, and wet environments are more likely to attract infesting insects and wildlife. In severe overwatering cases, soil may gradually erode and damage the lawn and drainage.

Watering infrequently but deeply generally gives roots the opportunity to dry out and access oxygen. The actual frequency and volume depend on soil conditions — clay and other heavier soils require more water volume to achieve the same result as sandy soils, which absorb and drain moisture quickly. Test your soil as you water — after about 30 minutes of irrigation, dig a small section of your lawn and look for about 3 or 4 inches of water penetration. Continue this process until your water reaches adequate depth.

Mowing Mistakes

Mowing is a routine and seemingly simple task, but certain errors may cause problems for your lawn.

Mowing the Wrong Height

Cutting grass too short, often in an attempt to mow less frequently, is a common homeowner mistake. Known colloquially as “golf course syndrome,” some homeowners cut their grasses below 2.5 inches to mimic manicured professional turf settings. While sometimes preventing more frequent mowing, these practices place unnecessary stress on your lawn and may result in other high maintenance needs for weakened lawns.

Although Kentucky bluegrass and other cool-season grasses tolerate about 3 inches of consistent height, taller grasses have adapted to warm climates to provide shade to the soil, helping to retain moisture and hinder weed growth in the ecosystem. Grass length also has a direct positive correlation with root depth, so leaving grass at its preferred length allows for ideal nutrient and moisture uptake.

For optimal mowing, research your grass type’s preferred height and aim to maintain that. Avoid letting it overgrow to the point where you have to cut more than one-third of its leaf blade — removing too much shocks and weakens the grass. Seasonal changes and other factors affect grass growth rates, too. Instead of sticking to a rigid mowing schedule, monitor your lawn growth and cut as needed.

Your Mower Isn’t Well-Maintained

Dull mower blades can tear grass instead of cutting it, leading to ragged edges with increased susceptibility to disease and pests. In contrast, sharp mower blades allow for clean cuts that promote faster healing and regrowth. Some mowers also have mulching features, and keeping equipment in good shape allows for effective mulching that adds organic matter and nutrients to your lawn.

Mowers also require periodic cleaning to prevent overheating and mechanical issues that limit cutting power. Cleaning the mower undercarriage also prevents the buildup and consequential spreading of old debris throughout your lawn, potentially spreading pests and pathogens.

Follow these practices for proper maintenance:

• Sharpen mower blades once per season.
• Change the mower oil according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Clean the mower’s undercarriage after each use.

Seeding Mistakes

While spreading grass seeds doesn’t automatically translate to an abundance of new growth, strategic choices can boost your lawn’s seeding success.

Choosing the Wrong Grass Seed

Certain grasses are native to their areas because they’ve adapted to thrive in that climate and ecosystem. Selecting a grass species that’s incompatible with your climate or soil type can lead to poor growth and maintenance challenges. Grass that isn’t native or adapted to your region may require excessive care and resources to survive. Sparse growth doesn’t just look visually unappealing — it also gives weeds and certain insects opportunities to infiltrate your yard.

In contrast, invasive grasses can grow aggressively in your yard. These may seem like an easy choice for low maintenance, but invasive species can have significant ecological impacts. They may outcompete native plants and alter soil chemistry, disrupting the ecosystem’s health, reducing biodiversity, causing soil erosion and increasing long-term maintenance.

Speak to lawn care experts and garden centers who understand your local environment. These professionals can recommend the ideal grass type that balances visual appeal, lawn health and maintenance.

Not Aerating Beforehand

Failing to aerate your lawn soil ahead of seeding has several negative impacts on your lawn’s success. Aerating soil, which involves perforating small sections of soil to allow for enhanced penetration of oxygen, water and nutrients, helps improve soil structure and lawn health. This process relieves soil compaction from foot traffic and natural effects.

Without aerating before seeding, your seeds are more likely to sit on the surface of the compact soil and fail to germinate. Instead, seeds may dry out or wash away with rain. Seeds that germinate may struggle to develop robust root systems in compacted and oversaturated soil. These problems result in patchy and weak lawn growth, allowing for increased weed competition.

A lawn care expert can provide aeration and seeding for you. If you’re handling it yourself, follow this process before seeding:

1. Look for signs of stress around your yard. If the soil feels hard or has poor drainage, it likely needs aeration.
2. Clear sticks, leaves and other debris from your lawn.
3. Mow the grass to the appropriate height as per your grass type. Don’t remove grass clippings.
4. Use a core aerator in multiple passes for even coverage and perforation.

Fertilizing Mistakes

Fertilizer is an important part of lawn care, but common errors can hurt your lawn more than it helps it.

Too Much Fertilizer

Like water, more fertilizer doesn’t necessarily equate to better lawn health. Excessive fertilizer can sometimes result in a burn effect, where nitrogen and salt concentrations are too much for plants. The fertilizer makes the soil too salty, reversing the flow of water from plant leaves back into the soil. This dehydrates the plants, damages the root system and leads to dry and yellow patches.

Over-fertilizing may also lead to other negative consequences. Grass can grow vigorously but at the expense of root systems, leaving them vulnerable to drought and disease. Excessive fertilizer can also have environmental impacts, such as disrupting the natural balance of soil nutrients and microorganisms as well as contaminating nearby water bodies with runoff, causing algal blooms, depleting oxygen and harming aquatic life.

Most lawns don’t need fertilizing more than twice per year, but the fertilizer volume is more nuanced. Lawn care professionals use soil tests and careful calculations to determine the right amount.

The Wrong Fertilizer

When fertilizers don’t meet specific nutrient needs, your lawn may experience poor growth and increased vulnerability to pests and diseases. The wrong type of fertilizer can inadvertently lead to over-fertilizing if its nutrient benefits aren’t compatible with your lawn.

Soil tests help identify levels of key nutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — to understand what your soil lacks. They also determine if your soil is too acidic or alkaline for certain nutrient availability. These tests allow for tailored fertilizer choices that promote healthy lawn growth.

Weeding Mistakes

Misidentifying weeds or incorrect herbicide tactics may exacerbate weed problems. 

Misidentifying Weeds

There are countless types of weeds, and many require specially targeted control measures. Mistaking a weed for another type may render your control efforts ineffective, allowing it to flourish and overwhelm your lawn. For example, broadleaf herbicides are effective against many species but less so on grassy weeds.

Familiarize yourself with common weeds in your area. Refer to local lawn care professionals for accurate weed identification and control treatments.

Misapplication of Herbicide

Incorrectly applying herbicides, whether due to timing, dosage or selection, can damage your lawn and fail to control weeds. Proper timing is important for targeting species — for example, pre-emergent herbicides are only effective at preventing weeds from germinating, while post-emergent herbicides are meant for various post-germination stages of weed life cycles. 

Excessive amounts can also damage grass and other desirable plants, encourage resistant weed development and degrade soil quality. Too little fails to impact weed populations. A lawn care professional can help identify a targeted and properly timed weed control treatment.

Contact Lawn Doctor for Lawn Care Services

From seeding strategies to fertilization schedules and weed management, Lawn Doctor professionals can help. Contact Lawn Doctor for personalized lawn care services that leave your yard lush and thriving.

1. Grubs

Grubs are the larvae of beetle species, such as Japanese beetles and different species of June bugs. These pests typically live just below the soil surface, where they can feed on the roots of grass and other vegetation. Grubs are C-shaped, white and wrinkled larvae with legs near their heads, and they usually measure between 0.25 inches and 1 inch. Grubs emerge from their eggs in mid to late summer. When temperatures drop in autumn, they burrow and stay below the frost line throughout the winter. They resurface in the fall and continue feeding on roots until they reach pupal and adult stages.

Populations often grow during moderate temperatures, increasing into the summer and tapering off in the fall. Because grubs thrive in moisture, they do well in over-watered lawns. Beetles also prefer to lay eggs in areas rich with organic materials, where grubs have plenty of feeding and hiding opportunities.

While you can’t control seasonal temperatures, you can implement grub deterrents. Maintaining a healthy lawn through proper watering, aeration, drainage and fertilization promotes strong root systems. Mow to the correct height — cutting grass too short exposes the roots, stresses your lawn and makes it more vulnerable to grub infestation. If grubs infest your lawn, targeted pest treatments can help remove them.

2. Chinch Bugs

Measuring about 4 millimeters, chinch bugs are tough to see but potentially devastating for your lawn. Adult chinch bugs are black with white patches between their wings, and adolescents are light red with a white stripe. They may give off a strong odor, especially in cases of infestation. Minor chinch bug populations are normal, about 10 to 15 bugs per square foot. Extreme heat and drought, however, may allow populations to spike, leading to dead grass patches.

Thriving in hot and arid areas, chinch bugs often establish in sunny areas of your lawn that are most prone to dryness. They feed on sap from turfgrass, such as Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and crabgrass, effectively dehydrating it, and inject a toxic that prevents the grass from absorbing more water and rehydrating. Watering a dry patch with chinch bugs won’t fix brown spots or rehydrate grass — the patch will keep spreading as long as it’s infested. 

To prevent chinch bugs, practice proper aeration, fertilization and mowing. Maintain a consistent watering or irrigation schedule during hot weather, ensuring your lawn doesn’t dry out in unshaded areas. If your lawn is infested, professional pest treatments help prevent and control populations. Multiple treatments may be necessary to account for rapid lifecycles and unhatched eggs.

3. Sod Webworms

Sod webworms are larvae of certain moth species. Identified by their light green to brown color and spots, sod webworms often thrive in warm conditions and create small web-lined tunnels. As sod webworms feed on grass stems and leaves, brown spots appear and gradually intersect. They typically target lawns with high nutritional potential.

Preventing sod webworms involves optimizing your lawn’s health. Certain enhanced grasses also contain additives that strengthen your lawn and increase resistance against sod webworms and other insects. Professional insecticide treatments are a routine preventative measure as well as an anti-infestation method.

4. Armyworms

Armyworms are another type of moth larvae and look similar to sod webworms, but they’re larger and more aggressive feeders. They often reside in warm areas and feed on turfgrass, but they sometimes travel and repopulate in northern areas via storm winds. 

Because armyworms invade in large numbers and can quickly destroy your lawn, prevention is the best tactic against infestation. Take action with professional pest treatment as soon as you notice egg clusters, fecal pellets or brown-colored moths armyworms grow into.

5. Cutworms

Cutworms are also moth larvae, appearing brown or gray and easily blending into soil. They’re most active in the early spring because they’re attracted to seedlings and vulnerable roots. You may find them curled around a stem as they feed, most often at night.

Monitor your lawn for cutworms by checking on plants and damage in the morning. Look for cutworm droppings and holes in the soil near damaged plants. If you have a garden in your lawn, till it in the fall and spring planting to expose and kill larvae that burrow and hide over the winter. If you discover a cutworm infestation, specially formulated insect treatments can control populations.

6. Billbugs

Billbugs are small, weevil-like insects with hard shells colored brown to black and curved snouts. They’re attracted to unhealthy lawns or those with signs of poor maintenance, such as overgrowth and poor drainage. Targeting turfgrass, billbugs usually inflict the most damage from mid-June to late July, when heat and drought stress make your lawn especially vulnerable.

Damage from billbugs overlaps with other lawn pests and diseases, but you can identify billbugs by finding larvae tunnels and fine debris from hollowed-out plant stems. Grass damaged by adult billbugs usually breaks off at the soil line and likewise has sawdust-like debris.

In addition to proper lawn care, such as good mowing practices and regular dethatching, targeted insect control can get rid of billbug populations and minimize lawn damage. Small areas typically recover once the larvae are destroyed.

7. Leatherjackets

Crane flies, which are long-legged flying insects sometimes mistaken for mosquitoes, don’t damage lawns, but their larvae can. Crane fly larvae, otherwise known as leatherjackets, usually thrive in damp, overfertilized, or new grass, and they can emerge in large and damaging numbers following warm and wet autumns. Between 1.5 and 2 inches long, leatherjackets are gray/brown and resemble small worms, and their larval stage can last up to 2 years. 

Leatherjackets feed on roots and cut into foliage, pulling pieces into the ground and sometimes leaving circular blank spots behind. They prefer long grass, so keeping your lawn tidy throughout the summer helps deter crane flies from laying eggs. Managing soil moisture and compaction is also an important part of preventing leatherjacket infestation. In case of infestation, beneficial nematodes or insecticidal treatments in the fall attack leatherjackets when they’re most vulnerable.

8. Ants

Ants don’t directly target your lawn’s grass, and they may even help your yard by controlling larvae populations. Certain species, however, may present some challenges.

Army ants are a destructive species. While small, some grow stingers and hooks and occasionally bite humans, leaving behind red and itchy marks. Moving in large and hungry groups, these ants swarm areas as they seek out various sources of food, including small live animals. They also consume grass and other lawn foliage, easily destroying large sections of your yard.

Field ants can create ant hills up to 4 feet across, leading to uneven terrain and bare patches throughout your lawn. Underground ant tunnels push soil away from grass roots, preventing them from hydrating and killing them. Compact and wet soil is difficult for ants to tunnel through, so they gravitate toward drought-impacted lawns with sparse grass coverage.

9. Ticks

Not technically insects, ticks are parasitic arachnids. Ticks pose significant health risks to people and pets, leading to Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other illnesses, depending on the type and location. Ticks vary in size, but they’re all relatively small and difficult to spot, ranging from the size of a seed to about 6 millimeters long. When they latch onto a host, they grow much larger as they feed.

Ticks prefer different environments depending on their species. Many prefer moist and shaded environments, such as heavy thatch, while others prefer rocky areas or tall grasses. Preventing ticks involves thorough lawn maintenance, such as:

• Mowing regularly
• Optimizing lawn drainage
• Removing leaf piles
• Clearing tall grasses and brush

To repel ticks, consider applying tick-specific insecticides. A professional can inspect your lawn to identify and treat problem areas.

10. Fleas

Fleas are another type of parasite that can infest your lawn and home. Because fleas are small and dark, most people see signs of them before spotting an actual bug. They may cause itchy spots and rashes on people, but they’re most often found on dogs and cats, causing them to scratch themselves heavily, develop red and irritated areas or collect flea dirt.

Fleas are a year-round problem, but they thrive in hot and humid weather, tall grasses and shaded areas. Raccoons, deer, squirrels and other wildlife may also bring fleas to your yard.

Because eggs can remain dormant for months, treating for all life cycle stages is important. Try these flea-controlling strategies:

• Hire a professional to apply flea adult and egg treatment.
• Mow long grass.
• Use cedar mulch.
• Avoid overwatering.
• Remove clutter from your yard.
• Implement wildlife deterrents.
• Speak to your vet about flea treatments.

Contact Lawn Doctor for a Pest-Free Yard

Whether good care practices or professional measures, you can keep your lawn healthy and infestation-free. Contact Lawn Doctor for expert lawn insect control solutions tailored to your home.

Why Is Winter Lawn Prep Important?

Many people believe they can ignore their lawns in the cold winter months, but this is far from the truth. After all, you can’t expect to neglect your landscaping for months and have a healthy lawn as soon as the weather warms up.

Winter maintenance is light, but the few tasks you have to do are essential to avoid costly problems in the spring.

When Is the Best Time to Start Prepping Your Lawn for Winter?

If you’re wondering when to winterize your lawn, maintenance is something you have to keep up year-round, and you can start preparing for winter as soon as the temperatures drop.

However, some states have restrictions and cutoff dates for winter fertilization. For example, New Jersey has a blackout period from November to February.

6 Essential Winter Lawn Prep Steps

Here are the vital steps you need to take to prepare your lawn for the winter.

1. Spot-Treat Lawn Weeds and Diseases

When getting your lawn ready for winter, apply herbicides to any weedy areas. Weed issues worsen if ignored, so it’s best to take care of them before the next year.

Additionally, cool-season grasses might experience snow mold in winter. This lawn fungus thrives in cold, wet conditions and can kill your grass. You can prevent snow mold by applying a winter fertilizer (dormant feeding) before the first frost. This fertilizer helps the grass store nutrients to survive the winter while minimizing growth during the colder months.

2. Don’t Stress the Grass

Heavy blankets of snow put pressure on the grass, causing it to brown out or die. To limit this damage, avoid walking on the lawn; foot traffic can severely worsen this problem.

Another winter stressor to grass is salt. To protect your grass from rock salt, avoid shoveling snow full of salt onto it and salting areas near it. If possible, use a calcium chloride-based mixture, which is less harmful to turf.

3. Clear Your Yard of Objects and Debris

While you’re working on your winter lawn care, remove any objects from your lawn before winter starts. Grass trapped underneath outdoor furniture, toys and decorations can die due to a lack of sunlight.

Also, rake leaves thoroughly from cool-season grasses before winter. Here’s an important tip: Clear the yard before the first frost to make leaf removal easier. Otherwise, you may accidentally rip up turf when raking over frozen grass.

4. Winterize Your Gas Lawn Mower

Make sure to mow your lawn one last time at a low mower height before winterizing your lawn mower. This term refers to the process of fixing up and properly storing your lawn mower at the end of the mowing season. These tasks include:

• Sharpening or replacing mower blades
• Changing the oil
• Tightening loose parts
• Inspecting for leaks and other problems
• Draining any remaining fuel
• Checking the manual for additional maintenance

For a more detailed guide, check out our blog on winterizing your lawn mower for storage.

5. Adjust Your Irrigation Schedule

Grass grows slower in colder temperatures, so your lawn’s irrigation needs are lower. Make sure you adapt your irrigation schedule to prevent overflowing and damaging your lawn with excess water.

6. Make a Plan for Spring

Both warm-season and cool-season grasses start growing again in spring. Watch for when your lawn begins to grow so you can mow and water again. Just as in winter, stay on the lookout for weeds and diseases.

Consider Professional Landscaping Services

Need someone to help you out? No matter the time of year, Lawn Doctor is here to help you achieve a beautiful lawn. Contact us today for a lawn care evaluation or to schedule an appointment.

Fertilization, like any lawn care task, requires special attention when it comes to timing, frequency, and location. All of these factors impact its effectiveness and the overall health of your grass. In fact, neglecting them can hurt your lawn. Our advice will help you establish an effective lawn fertilizer schedule.

Why Fertilization Timing Matters

It’s important to keep your geographical location and grass type in mind when building your personalized fertilization schedule. The goal is to align your lawn feedings with periods of peak active growth. This timing lets your grass best absorb the nutrients it needs to grow green and lush and resist disease throughout the year.

If you live in the South or Transition Zone, your fertilization schedule may start as early as March. If you live in the North, your lawn may not be ready to green up and grow with fertilizer until May. Plan your first feeding for right around the same time your lawn needs a first mow.

Grass Type and Location Make a Huge Difference

Every variety of grass falls into one of two categories:  cool-season or warm-season turfgrass. Lawns in the North include cool-season grasses like Tall and Fine Fescue, Rye, and Kentucky Bluegrass. Lawns South of the growing transition zone are considered warm-season grasses such as Centipede, Bermuda, Saint Augustine, and Zoysia. The Transition Zone includes a mixture of cool and warm-season grasses that both thrive within this region. 

Because of their different climate conditions, warm and cool-season grasses have different fertilization requirements. Additionally, individual grass types also impact the lawn fertilizer schedule. As a result, the timing and frequency tips below are only general rules of thumb. For the most accurate information concerning your lawn’s specific fertilizer schedule, consult your local Lawn Doctor professional. They can help refine your grass fertilizer schedule and pest control program.

How Often Should You Fertilize Your Lawn? 

Cool-season and warm-season turfgrass should be fertilized frequently during the optimum climate conditions to encourage root development and turfgrass density. Timing is dependent on your region and growing conditions. Grass should be fertilized every four to six weeks with the number of treatments ranging from four to eight per service season. The lawn’s health plays an effect and certain growing conditions may necessitate fewer fertilizer applications. Contact your local Lawn Doctor for information on fertilizer programs in your area.

When Should You Fertilize Your Lawn? 

Cool-season grasses should be fertilized well in the spring to encourage deep roots and healthy top growth well before the signs and symptoms of summer stress. Light fertilizer applications made in summer will ensure the turf remains healthy, continues to push new growth, and recover from hot and dry conditions. Fall fertilizer applications remain the most important for plant recovery and storing nutrients before winter dormancy. 

Warm-season grasses are fertilized in early spring to encourage new growth and develop a healthy root system. During late spring and summer, warm-season turfgrass thrives and as a result requires more stabilized nutrients to outcompete weeds. Late summer and fall fertilizer applications improve the overall health and appearance of your lawn, allowing the turf to store nutrients before winter dormancy and encourage a rapid spring greening.

Your Seasonal Fertilization Schedule

Once you’ve identified your cool- or warm-season grass, you can treat your lawn to an optimal care schedule. While some people fertilize their lawns just once a year, you’ll get healthier, more beautiful results with strategic applications that span the seasons. Here are some general timing tips for your lawn’s natural growth cycle.

Spring

• Cool-season grasses (April-May): Your grass is slowing down after early spring growth. Fertilize in the late spring to help balance top growth and root development, and prepare for summer stress.
• Warm-season grasses (March-May): Warm-season grasses are coming out of dormancy. Fertilize in the mid to late spring to encourage healthy growth as soil temperatures rise.

Summer

• Cool-season grasses (N/A): Cool-season grasses are under heat stress and may go dormant. Fertilizing during the summer can cause burning or excessive leaf growth.
• Warm-season grasses (June-July): Early to mid-summer is the prime growing period for warm-season grasses. Fertilize now to support strong, dense growth during the hottest days.

Fall

• Cool-season grasses (September-November): Fall is the most important time to fertilize cool-season grasses. Feed your lawn in the early fall to promote root growth and recovery after the hot, dry summer. Fertilize again in the late fall to prepare for winter dormancy and early spring growth.
• Warm-season grasses (September): As temperatures drop, warm-season grasses begin preparing for dormancy. Use a light application of fertilizer in the early fall to help your grass store energy for the next growing season.

Get Started on Your Lawn Fertilizer Schedule Now

Spring is the best time to get the ball rolling on fertilizer schedule. The sooner your lawn is fed, the better equipped it will be to thrive over the coming months. Don’t forget to consider other lawn care maintenance schedules too. Fill out the form below or contact Lawn Doctor today for expert lawn and garden fertilization services.

The shift from summer to fall lawn care should happen in early autumn — typically in September. However, the timing can vary based on your location and when the temperatures start to drop. The type of grass you have is also a factor — warm-season grass goes dormant sooner than cool-season grass in the winter, so many fall care tasks need to happen earlier in the season. Continue with the lawn care tips for fall until late October or early November when the grass stops growing for the season.

Tips for Fall Lawn Care

The mowing, watering and fertilization schedule you use for summer helps you get the lush lawn you want, but come fall, it’s time to slow things down and prep for winter. Customizing your fall lawn care to the type of grass you have helps your grass stay healthy and avoids any unnecessary stress or damage.

Cool-season grass grows better in lower temperatures and stays active longer into the fall months. Examples of cool-season grass include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, creeping bentgrass and fine fescue. Warm-season grasses go dormant sooner since they prefer warmer temperatures. Common warm-season grasses include St. Augustine grass, Zoysia grass, Bermuda grass and carpet grass. Learn what to do to a lawn in the fall with these tips for cool-season and warm-season grasses.

Mowing

Grass doesn’t stop growing until it frosts over in winter, so there’s no reason to stop mowing come autumn. Continue cutting your grass at its normal height until it stops growing. How long this takes depends on where you live and what type of grass you have. Northern climates typically have a shorter mowing season than warmer areas.

Warm-season grasses thrive in hotter temperatures, so it makes sense that they go dormant earlier in the fall. These varieties often start going dormant when the temperatures fall below 65 degrees Fahrenheit.

Cool-season grasses hang on a little longer, so you may need to mow them longer. They usually go dormant for the winter when the temperature drops to 45-55 degrees consistently.

You can tell the grass is ready for winter when it starts to turn brown. It tends to have a straw-like appearance and may have a dry texture. Watering doesn’t make the grass spring back to life when it’s dormant.

As you near the dormant period, gradually decrease the height of your grass to prepare it for winter. While the ideal height during the growing season varies by the grass variety, the best length for winter is 2-2.5 inches for all varieties. Gradually going shorter makes the transition easier on the grass.

Watering

Even when the air is cooler outside, continue watering in the morning as long as the temperatures are above freezing. This allows plenty of time for the grass to dry off before nightfall. Cool-season grasses may need to be watered for longer than warm-season grasses since they tolerate lower temperatures and take longer to go dormant. In some areas, cool-season grass doesn’t go completely dormant in the winter and could need occasional irrigation throughout the cold season.

Autumn rain results in less evaporation, providing plenty of natural moisture for the grass to sustain itself. Even so, you should keep tabs on how much water your grass is getting with a rain gauge. If the lawn isn’t getting one inch or more of moisture per week, you should water it.

Raking

When leaves fall on your lawn, they block out sunlight and can prevent plants from making food. Additionally, the soggy moisture they hold can lead to lawn fungi. Raking also helps remove any thatch that may have built up. A leaf blower or vacuum won’t remove thatch, so it’s important to use a traditional rake occasionally. Start raking as soon as the leaves fall in order to keep these passageways open. Even after the leaves stop falling, you should continue to rake as the wind blows them onto your property. Raking once a week isn’t too hard right?

Aerating and Overseeding

Over the summer, your lawn has probably suffered from some degree of soil compaction and heat stress. These two problems often cause most (if not all) of the brown or thinned grass you may have experienced last season. Aeration is the process of removing soil plugs from a yard in order to free up passageways for precious nutrients to reach the grassroots, nutrients they often struggle to bring in under compaction and stress.

Fall is especially ideal for aerating cool-season grasses, which are still strong in the autumn months. They tend to be weaker in the spring when they’re just coming out of dormancy. In the summer months, cool-season grass may go dormant during hot periods. Aerating during those times could cause damage to the grass. Early fall is an ideal time to aerate your cool-season grass — aim for about 30-45 days before the first frost. This is also a good time to overseed your lawn.

For warm-season grass, earlier aeration and overseeding are often better. Late spring to summer is an ideal time range for those grass varieties. That allows for enough warm temperatures to help the new seeds germinate.

Fertilizing

If you want your lawn to look better and be healthier, fertilize in the fall. This process will give your lawn plenty of nutrients to get it through the winter and help the grass grow stronger in spring. If you decide to aerate in the fall, you should fertilize soon afterward in order to ensure that the nutrients will reach deeper into the soil.

The timing of your fall fertilizer application depends on the type of grass you have. If you have cool-season grass, plan to fertilize around the end of October, so the fertilizer encourages root growth throughout November. This timing gives the grass time to recover from the hot summer temperatures that can make it go dormant temporarily.

For warm-weather grass, fertilizing in early September in most climates, or when the weather starts to cool, allows for enough root growth time before cooler weather causes the grass to go dormant. Your fall fertilizer should typically be a lighter application than you use in the summer. Avoid fertilizing warm-weather grass past the end of September. Stimulating too much growth close to cooler weather could damage the grass when winter hits.

Pest Control

Insects that live in your lawn now can cause serious problems once it starts growing after winter ends. If you notice a lawn pest problem on your grass, take care of it in early fall to limit the damage. You can apply a pesticide, or reach out to us to identify and eliminate lawn pests, such as grubs and armyworms.

Weed Control

In the fall, new grass growth diminishes, which allows weeds to take root. Poor lawn care practices can also permit weeds to become prominent in the fall. For instance, if you cut your grass too short early in the fall season, it could be more prone to weed growth.

Being aggressive with weed control in the fall minimizes the growth of unwanted plants, so your lawn looks better in the spring. Overseeding is one way to suppress weed growth in cool-season grasses. Pulling weeds by hand when you spot them is another effective method for cool-season and warm-season grass varieties.

Keeping on top of the fall leaf cleanup in your yard also helps with weed control. Letting the leaves sit on your lawn can lead to dead spots. That leaves your lawn looking patchy and provides spots for weeds to take over. Rake the leaves regularly, and bag them to keep them off the lawn. Another option is mulching the leaves. It makes a little extra work for you, but it keeps your lawn healthy.

Keep a Tight Schedule

All of these fall lawn care steps must be performed like clockwork. If you seed and fertilize too close to winter, the soil won’t be able to take in nutrients. Aerate while it’s still too hot out, and the process will not be nearly as effective. The key to a healthy lawn next year is a tight fall lawn care schedule. If you struggle to find time to work on your lawn this fall—or if you’d like to put your yard in expert hands—our lawn aeration service and power seeding can get your lawn in the best shape of its life when spring arrives again.

These fall lawn care tips can help prepare your lawn for the next year. For professional fall lawn maintenance, we provide personalized services and application choices to help your lawn be the best it can. Get a free quote for your personalized fall lawn care services today.

1. Apply Pre-Emergent Herbicide

One of the most effective ways to stop weeds before they even appear is by applying a pre-emergent herbicide. This type of herbicide works by preventing weed seeds from germinating, creating a protective barrier that blocks weeds from taking root.

For best results, apply pre-emergent herbicide early in the growing season, before weed seeds have a chance to sprout. In most regions, this means applying it in early spring, when soil temperatures reach about 55°F for several days. It’s important to apply it before you see any weeds emerging. You can also reapply in late summer or early fall to prevent cool-season weeds like chickweed or henbit from growing.

Be sure to water your lawn lightly after applying the herbicide to help activate it. Always follow the instructions on the product label to ensure proper application and avoid harming your grass or desirable plants.

2. Use Landscape Fabric and Edging

Landscape fabric, also known as “weed barrier,” is a plastic woven fabric designed to prevent weeds from growing between border plants. You can also use it to stop weed growth on gravel driveways, paths and patios. The fabric is water permeable, meaning moisture can pass through to keep your plants healthy.

To apply landscape fabric, roll it out over your flowerbed and cut holes to plant border perennials and annuals. The fabric can prevent light from reaching any weeds that sprout in the gaps, smothering and killing them. Stop the fabric from shifting or rolling up at the sides by securing it with heavy rocks or landscape pins.

There’s no need to mulch on top of landscape fabric, but some homeowners prefer to disguise the fabric’s appearance. Bear in mind that shallow-rooted weeds can still germinate in some mulches, so the weeds could regrow if you cover the fabric with compost or topsoil. To avoid this issue, consider applying a decorative mulch that’s inhospitable to weeds. Gravel, cocoa shells and bark chippings are all excellent options.

Installing garden edging along the edges of your flowerbeds can also help prevent weeds from spreading. Over time, wooden edging can break down in moist soil, so it’s best to use plastic or metal edging to create a durable, impenetrable barrier. Bury the edging partway, leaving several inches under the soil surface to stop weeds from encroaching on your lawn.

3. Identify Weeds

While dandelions are easy to identify, thanks to their bright yellow flowers, other weed types can be more challenging to categorize. Figuring out which weeds you have in your garden is essential because different species require different treatment methods.

Identifying weeds can also help you adapt your care practices to make your yard less hospitable and keep weeds out of your garden. Otherwise, you risk inadvertently assisting the weeds to grow faster and stronger. Simple steps, such as altering your mowing height or watering frequency, can become powerful weed-prevention solutions once you know what you’re dealing with.

There are several ways to identify the weeds growing in your garden. Weed identification apps are probably the easiest tool for beginners because they can determine the weed type using a photo. However, they may not recognize less common weed varieties. Area-specific taxonomic weed keys contain information about all the weeds commonly found in your local area, although they’re often difficult for non-experts to read. Consider contacting a lawn care professional to help you identify weeds if DIY methods don’t work.

4. Scorch Weed Seedlings

Scorching weeds with a flame gun is another effective (and satisfying) way to kill weeds without chemicals. Flame guns can damage adjacent plants, so they’re best used on patios, paths and driveways where you don’t want any plants to grow.

Moist weeds won’t burn effectively, so this method is most suitable for dry days. Apply the flame to the weed and allow it to burn the entire plant to prevent deep-rooted weeds from regrowing.

Call the Garden Care Experts

These weed maintenance tips offer several effective ways to keep weeds out of your garden. However, it takes patience to completely eradicate unwanted plants from your lawn and flowerbeds. Keep treating your weed problem regularly and combine hand or chemical weeding with long-term solutions like landscape fabric to prevent new growth.

If weeds get out of hand or you struggle to keep on top of weed prevention in a larger garden, the experts at Lawn Doctor are here to help. Our lawn care services keep grass in tip-top condition to stop weeds from flourishing, and we can provide tailored weed control for tackling weeds in borders and other areas. Contact us today to request a quote and discuss your lawn care needs with a member of our team.

Common Lawn Diseases

Common lawn diseases, such as dollar spot and red thread, often look worse than they are. Although these diseases destroy grass blades, they can be treated before the symptoms become severe enough to kill your plants. Fertilizer is the key to helping your lawn recover from these spring diseases.

Soil-borne diseases, such as brown patch and summer patch, can cause extensive damage to warm and cool season grass types. Brown patch is most severe on St. Augustine and tall fescue lawns, while summer patch primarily affects Kentucky bluegrass lawns. The majority of these diseases are active in the spring and can weaken your lawn.  Also, summer heat conditions can aggravate the symptoms of some diseases.

During cooler weather, snow mold develops in wet environments. Snow mold can lead to crown and root rot under winter snow. To find out if you have snow mold, look for patchy, gray areas after long periods of covered snow. Another common issue is spring dead spots. This is characterized by circular patches of sunken turf. These dead patches can persist well into the summer, and in some cases, your lawn won’t recover until the disease becomes dormant in the fall.

How to Prevent Yard and Lawn Diseases

Prevention is key to stopping yard and lawn diseases. A healthy grass plant is the best defense against lawn disease.  Proper mowing, watering and fertilizing practices are extremely important for a healthy lawn.

• Mow at the proper height. Never cut more than one-third of the grass blade each time you mow.
• Water the lawn 1 inch per week. It’s best to water in the morning.
• Fertilize cool-season grasses with nitrogen in the spring and fall.
• In the summer, fertilize warm-season turf with nitrogen.

As the weather changes, the fungi will run its course, and your lawn should gradually recover.

We Treat All Common Lawn Diseases

Our lawn care experts can diagnose and treat all common types of lawn diseases, including:

Dollar Spot 

Dollar spot is a lawn disease that most commonly occurs in the summer and early autumn due to the warm, wet conditions at those times of year. Lawns that are shaded and not exposed to wind are more likely to develop dollar spot because they stay damp for longer after rainfall. Poor drainage can also increase the risk of your lawn developing this disease.

To prevent dollar spot, don’t water your lawn more than once or twice a week. Aerate your lawn regularly, and test for pH balance if you have any concerns. Finally, make sure your lawnmower has sharp blades to avoid damaging or bruising the grass. Clean, crisp cuts help protect your lawn from not only dollar spot, but other diseases as well.

Brown Patch 

Brown patch is a fungal disease most commonly seen during hot, humid weather. It causes circular brown patches that can be up to several feet in diameter. Before the grass turns brown, it may develop a purple/green hue. While it’s often possible to treat brown patch with basic lawn management, severe infections may require fungicide treatments to prevent excessive damage.

To prevent brown patch lawn disease, follow best practices to maintain a healthy turf. This means taking care not to overfertilize your lawn and making sure it’s properly aerated. Water your lawn in the early hours of the morning, and be sure not to overwater. Prune shrubs to ensure your lawn gets adequate sunlight.

Leaf Spot 

There are several varieties of leaf spot, and the symptoms vary depending on the exact pathogen infecting the leaves. In most cases, you’ll see affected leaves turn yellow or pale and develop lesions. In some cases, the leaves will also show signs of withering and drought stress. All species of grass are susceptible to this condition.

Leaf spot is another infection that tends to occur in hot, humid weather. It’s more likely to happen if you cut your lawn to a lower height than recommended for that species of grass. To treat this infection, remove excess thatch, make sure your lawn is properly aerated and allow the grass to grow taller. Make sure your lawnmower has properly sharpened blades to help prevent further damage to the leaves.

Pythium

Pythium is a fungal disease that can affect most mature turf species, both cool-season and warm-season. It’s known by several names, including spot blight, cottony blight and grease spot. The fungus thrives in hot, humid conditions and is particularly common in regions where nighttime temperatures are high and humidity of over 90% is commonplace.

You can prevent pythium by watering your lawn deeply but infrequently, aerating regularly and dethatching to help promote moisture drainage. Aim to keep your soil at a neutral pH level, and use a slow-release fertilizer to maintain adequate nitrogen levels throughout the summer. If an infection does occur, use a broad-spectrum fungicide to treat it, then reseed the affected areas to promote healthy lawn growth. If your lawn is infected with pythium, clean your lawnmower after each use to prevent the disease from spreading to other parts of the lawn.

Red Thread 

Another fungal infection that occurs during the summer and autumn, red thread typically impacts lawns deficient in nitrogen. It causes patches of brown turf and can be identified by the characteristic red gelatinous, thread-like growths of fungus in those affected areas.

Red thread doesn’t usually kill the grass, so the impacted patches should grow back once the fungus is treated. Antifungal treatments for red thread are available, but it’s generally recommended to try nonchemical treatment options first. Removing excess thatch can help increase aeration, and treating the affected patches with nitrogen can often help control the fungus. It’s best to seek advice before adding nitrogen because excessive nitrogen can have undesirable side effects, such as increasing the risk of snow mold.

Rust 

Rust diseases are caused by pathogens that infect the leaves of the grass and can kill them but won’t usually kill the entire plant. Unlike many other fungi that cause lawn infections, the fungi responsible for rust diseases can’t live in the soil and won’t decompose thatch. It’s merely an opportunistic pathogen.

You can spot a rust infection by looking for rusty-colored or black powder on your turf leaves in autumn. Once the disease sets in, it will cause the affected leaves to turn yellow. Lawns that are underfertilized are more susceptible to this kind of infection, and the best way to control or prevent it is to ensure your lawn is properly fertilized and you mow the grass regularly. Fungicides aren’t recommended for the treatment of turf rust, but if you practice proper lawn care, you should be able to control the disease without them.

Snow Mold 

If you see brown patches on your lawn in the autumn or winter, there’s a possibility they’re caused by snow mold. This turf disease is common during mild winters and is particularly noticeable during thaws of snow, hence the name. Patches of snow mold can be up to a foot in diameter and can occur close together, affecting quite large areas.

You can manage snow mold by taking care not to overfertilize your lawn during the autumn months and paying attention to aeration and drainage. If your lawn is susceptible to snow mold, consider using a switch or cane to remove heavy dew to prevent the mold from taking hold. Consult a lawn care company about the use of fungicides if you find it difficult to eradicate the condition.

Summer Patch 

Poa patch, also known as summer patch, is a lawn disease that affects the kind of turf commonly seen on golf courses and athletic fields. It can also impact some varieties of home lawn turf. The disease attacks the root and crown of the grass, causing it to become yellow, then brown as the afflicted plants die off. In some areas, the patches of dead grass may be recolonized by other varieties of grass that are less susceptible to the disease.

Taking steps to lower soil pH, improve aeration and increase drainage can help strengthen the roots of the plants and stop the disease from taking hold. Overseeding turf with a perennial ryegrass can make the issue less noticeable and is a common strategy on golf courses and athletic pitches.

Powdery Mildew 

Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrasses are particularly susceptible to powdery mildew, but it can affect other grass types as well. This lawn disease looks like a white powdery coating that accumulates on the blades of your turfgrass. Over time, the diseased grass spreads to form white or gray spots on the lawn.

The infection is caused by an obligate parasite known as Erysiphe graminis. This fungus can only survive by living on a host plant. The best grass disease treatment for powdery mildew is to aerate your lawn and prune back any trees and shrubs that are nearby to improve airflow. The fungus thrives in dark, humid areas, so pruning trees to reduce shade is helpful.

Fairy Ring 

Fairy rings are rings of fungi that live in the roots of your turf. In many cases, the fungi cause no noticeable harm and don’t change the appearance of the grass, although sometimes you might notice a ring of dead grass. Toward the end of summer, a crop of toadstools may appear. These toadstools produce spores that can spread the infection to other areas of the lawn.

To clear a fairy ring infection, you may need to remove the affected section of turf and replace it with fresh soil, then reseed it. Alternatively, professional-grade fungicides can eradicate the fungus.

Leaf Blight

Leaf blight is caused by a fungus that attacks the leaves of your turf. In most cases, the infection won’t cause long-lasting damage to your grass. However, if your lawn is starved of nutrients and you have a persistent spell of wet weather, the infection could become severe enough to cause lasting damage.

To prevent a leaf blight infection, water your lawn in the morning or early afternoon so it dries before the sun sets. Mow your lawn regularly, and fertilize it using a fertilizer that is suitable for the current season.

Slime Mold 

Unlike most of the other infections on this list, slime mold is neither a fungus nor a disease. In fact, most slime mold isn’t even harmful to your lawn; it’s just unsightly. Slime molds are single-celled organisms that use grass stems to support the growth of their spore masses when the spores are moving together to search for food.

There are many different types of slime mold and many different colors too. The spores look slimy (which is where the name comes from) while they’re fruiting. They then disperse in the wind. Slime mold can be good for your grass, but if you find it unsightly, you can always wash it away with a power washer. There’s no need to use a fungicide because these organisms won’t be affected by them, and the fungicide could even harm your grass more than the slime mold does.

If you’re having issues with your lawn, contact Lawn Doctor today. Our skilled lawn care experts will get your lawn looking lush and green once again. 

What Is Power Seeding?

Power seeding, also known as slice seeding and slit seeding, is a method that uses a specialized machine to plant grass seeds directly into the soil. The machine creates small slits or furrows in the ground and deposits the seeds into these slits. In turn, the seeds have direct contact with the soil, which significantly increases the chances of germination.

Power seeding also helps to break up the soil, allowing for better air, water and nutrient penetration and promoting stronger grass growth.

There are pros and cons of slice seeding. While it provides excellent seed-to-soil contact and high germination rates, it can be labor-intensive and more expensive than overseeding. Let’s look at some more benefits:

• High germination rate: Achieving about a 90% germination rate, power seeding places seeds directly into the soil, maximizing their growth potential.
• Efficient seed utilization: It reduces seed wastage by placing seeds precisely where they need to be, minimizing loss to wind or birds.
• Rapid results: Homeowners often notice visible improvements in their lawn’s appearance quickly, thanks to the direct seed-to-soil contact.
• Natural weed suppression: Thicker and healthier grass resulting from power seeding naturally outcompetes weeds, reducing their presence.
• Soil aeration: The slicing action also aerates the soil, improving its structure and allowing better water and nutrient absorption.

What Is Overseeding?

Overseeding involves spreading grass seed over an existing lawn to improve its density and overall health. It’s typically done without disturbing the soil and is ideal for lawns that are generally healthy but have some thin areas. New seeds germinate and grow amongst the existing grass, thickening the turf and enhancing its appearance.

Advantages of overseeding include:

• Enhanced lawn density: Adding new grass to existing turf results in a thicker and healthier lawn. The increased density significantly improves the appearance and durability of your lawn.
• Improved visual appeal: Bare spots get filled in, creating a lush, uniform look. After stressful seasons that leave the lawn looking patchy, overseeding can be particularly beneficial.
• Increased disease and drought resistance: A dense lawn is more resilient against diseases and better able to withstand drought conditions. Introducing different grass varieties during overseeding can further enhance this resilience.
• Erosion control: Thicker grass helps to stabilize the soil, effectively reducing erosion and runoff. This benefit is especially noticeable on sloped lawns or areas that experience heavy rainfall.

What Does an Overseeder Do?

An overseeder is a machine designed to spread grass seed over an existing lawn without significantly disturbing the soil. It works by lightly scratching or slicing the soil surface for good seed-to-soil contact, then spreads the seeds uniformly. Unlike power seeding, which involves more aggressive soil slicing and seed placement, overseeding is a gentler method you can use to maintain and improve your lawn.

What Is Aeration Seeding?

Aeration seeding is a powerful combination of aeration and overseeding. The process begins with aeration, where small holes are perforated throughout the soil, allowing air, water and nutrients to penetrate deep into the grass roots. Following this, overseeding introduces fresh grass seed into the newly aerated soil, capitalizing on the improved seed-to-soil contact to foster robust growth.

Here are some benefits of aeration seeding:

• Better soil health: By alleviating soil compaction, aeration allows roots to grow deeper and stronger, improving the lawn’s overall health and resilience.
• Better nutrient absorption: The perforations created during aeration facilitate better absorption of water, nutrients and air, which are crucial for healthy grass growth.
• Thicker, healthier lawn: Overseeding after aeration fills in thin areas, resulting in a denser and more vibrant lawn, improving the lawn’s appearance and durability.
• Improved water management: Aerated soil absorbs water more efficiently, reducing runoff and promoting even water distribution. It can be particularly beneficial during periods of heavy rain or drought.

How Do You Know Which Is Best for Your Lawn?

Choosing the right seeding method and equipment for your lawn depends on its current condition and your goals.

Power seeding vs. overseeding:

• Power seeding: Best for lawns with bare spots or very thin grass.
• Overseeding: Ideal for generally healthy lawns that have some thin areas.

Power seeding vs. aerating:

• Power seeding: Suitable for significant lawn renovations where quick and robust grass growth is needed.
• Aerating: Usually combined with overseeding, it’s ideal for lawns with compacted soil that demands improved soil structure and better nutrient absorption.

Slice seeding vs. overseeding:

• Slice seeding: Better for lawns requiring a more aggressive approach to introducing new grass, especially in areas with severe thinning or bare spots.
• Overseeding: Best for maintaining and enhancing a generally healthy lawn with some thin patches.

Overseeder vs. slice seeder:

• Overseeder: Best for spreading grass seed over an existing lawn to improve density without disturbing the soil.
• Slice seeder: More effective for lawns requiring significant improvement, as it places seeds directly into the soil by cutting through it.

Slice seeding vs. aeration overseeding:

• Slice seeding: Provides direct seed-to-soil contact, making it highly effective for establishing new grass in lawns with bare patches or severe thinning.
• Aeration overseeding: Works best for lawns with compacted soil that require improved structure and nutrient absorption, along with new grass growth.

When Should You Seed Your Lawn?

The best time to seed your lawn largely depends on the type of grass and your local climate:

• Cool-season grasses: Late summer to early autumn is ideal for seeding cool-season grasses. The warm soil and cooler air temperatures create perfect conditions for seed germination and establishment. These grasses thrive in temperatures between 60° Fahrenheit and 75° Fahrenheit.
• Warm-season grasses: Spring is the best time for seeding warm-season grasses, which prefer temperatures between 80° Fahrenheit and 95° Fahrenheit. Planting in spring allows these grasses to establish before the summer heat sets in.

For a detailed guide on the best time to seed your lawn, visit our comprehensive seeding guide.

Lawn Doctor Can Help

Navigating the complexities of lawn care can be challenging, but Lawn Doctor is here to assist. Our range of lawn seeding services, including power seeding, overseeding and aeration seeding, are designed to cater to your lawn’s unique condition and needs. The team of experts here assesses your lawn’s condition and recommends the best seeding strategy to make it lusher and healthier than ever before.

How to Identify Quackgrass

Quackgrass is a coarse-textured perennial grass that thrives in similar environments to turfgrass. Quackgrass identification can be difficult, partly because it looks similar to crabgrass and partly because its appearance varies depending on whether it’s allowed to grow tall or is kept mowed.

Quackgrass grows quickly and can reach 3 feet in height. The stems and leaves are hairless, and the plant has auricles that hook or wrap around them. When trimmed, it doesn’t look too different from normal grass, but if it’s allowed to grow taller, it becomes quite obvious.

Quackgrass vs. Crabgrass

Crabgrass is another fast-growing annual, and many people mistake it for quackgrass, especially in the early stages of growth. However, differences between quackgrass and crabgrass can help you identify them more accurately:

• Crabgrass leaves are about the thickness of a pencil when the plant is young.
• Crabgrass grows from the stem outwards.
• As crabgrass grows, the blades fall, revealing a star-shaped pattern in the center.
• Crabgrass is bright green, but the stem may have a purplish appearance.

Both plants are invasive and difficult to get rid of, so if you spot crabgrass or quackgrass in your lawn it’s important to act quickly.

Quackgrass vs. Nutsedge

Nutsedge has a grass-like appearance, but it’s a sedge. It’s easy to spot because of its narrow, arched blades and triangular stems. Like quackgrass, nutsedge grows quickly, and if you don’t take action to control it, you’ll find it takes over your garden. If you spot their growth early, however, you can pull them up by the root and stop them from spreading.

Quackgrass vs. Tall Fescue

Tall fescue is dark green, grows very quickly, and tends to appear in thick patches. This grass tolerates both shade and drought well, maintaining a lush green appearance year-round. Some gardeners find these properties of tall fescue appealing. It’s a great lawn grass for areas where other turf grasses won’t grow. However, the way this grass spreads rapidly, choking out other turfgrasses, can be an issue in areas where it’s not wanted. Weed killer can remove tall fescue, but it will also kill any other grasses surrounding it.

Why Is Quackgrass in My Lawn?

If you have a quackgrass problem in your lawn, you may wonder if you’ve done something wrong. Try not to see quackgrass as a reflection of how well you’ve cared for your lawn. Infestations of this fast-growing grass can happen to anyone.

Quackgrass is incredibly invasive and is found in almost every state. It’s often seen near roadsides and on strips of grass that are rarely mowed. This grass can spread quickly, as birds eat the quackgrass seed head, then spread the seeds in their droppings. The seeds can also be found in soil or outdoor plants, so if you buy plants at a garden center, you could accidentally bring quackgrass seeds home with you.

Quackgrass plants are also good at spreading themselves. They produce runners, also known as rhizomes, that can grow for 5 feet or more underground. If your next-door neighbor has quackgrass in their lawn, you’ll find it a struggle to keep quackgrass under control in your lawn because it will keep coming back.

How to Kill Quackgrass

Now you know what quackgrass looks like and how it spreads, you may be wondering what kills quackgrass and how to control it without damaging your lawn.

Unfortunately, it’s very difficult to remove quackgrass by hand. If you try to dig it up, you may cut up pieces of rhizome that will simply take root and sprout again. The grass is incredibly hardy. The rhizomes can grow back quickly, and each plant will also produce about 25 seeds, so it’s hard to be sure that you’ve completely eradicated it.

The best way to get rid of quackgrass is to use a selective herbicide. There are products available that target quackgrass. Spraying a quackgrass herbicide on the plant and then covering it with tarp to block light may help to kill the infestation. However, it can take multiple applications, each one about 4 weeks apart, to completely get rid of the grass. In addition, these herbicides typically kill turfgrass too, so you’ll need to reseed the lawn.

How to Control Quackgrass

Rather than trying to kill quackgrass, controlling the growth and choking out the quackgrass with other plants could be a better option. Using nitrogen-based fertilizers and regularly mowing your lawn can be an effective quackgrass control measure.

If you’re going to take this approach, it’s best to do so during the spring and fall while your lawn is actively growing. It can take a full year to take effect, and you must be patient and diligent with it. Don’t be fooled by the way quackgrass appears to be dying off during the summer months. The grass doesn’t tolerate heat very well, so this retreat is normal. But it’s most likely you’ll see it regrow in the fall, so ongoing treatment is necessary.

At Lawn Doctor, we have a lot of experience dealing with quackgrass, crabgrass and other unwanted lawn pests. We take a scientific approach to weed management and can help you control quackgrass or other weeds.

If you book a consultation with our lawn experts, they’ll examine your lawn, come up with a weed control plan and do all the work required to help you rid your lawn of quackgrass and keep it weed-free in the long term. All you have to do is mow the lawn as normal. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you get the lush lawn you’ve always wanted!

Cold temperatures can put emerging grass shoots under stress, leading to a patchy or unhealthy lawn. Conversely, beginning too late could prevent your lawn from recovering fully from the winter weather. Let’s explore which factors impact the timing of your post-winter yard cleanup.

Where You Live

Whether your area has mild or prolonged winters significantly impacts your after-winter lawn care time line. People living in regions with relatively mild winter conditions can often start their lawn care routines earlier because spring tends to arrive earlier in these locations.

On the other hand, you should exercise caution if cold weather persists into the spring where you live. Late frosts and lingering snow pose a risk to emerging shoots. Therefore, you should wait for consistently warmer weather before tackling tasks like aeration and overseeding.

Local Weather Conditions

Winter conditions can vary significantly between locations in the same climate zones. Keep track of local weather trends to avoid starting lawn care before the last frosts.

Grass Species

Some grass species tolerate cold temperatures better than others, so it’s worth knowing which grass types your lawn contains. Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass and other cool-season species are relatively frost-tolerant, so you can safely start post-winter yard care earlier in the spring.

Warm-season grasses, such as Bermuda grass and Bahia grass, emerge from dormancy later than cool-season species. Therefore, you’re more likely to cause damage by starting your lawn care routine too soon. Wait until the last frost ends before fertilizing, aerating or overseeding warm-season grass.

Determining when to start lawn care after winter can be challenging without expert knowledge. If you’re unsure, a lawn care professional can assess your lawn and advise you on the most optimal time to start your routine.

Post-Winter Lawn Care Steps

Lawn care after winter involves treating any issues that could stop your lawn from regenerating and encouraging new, healthy growth. Follow this checklist to achieve a lush springtime lawn:

1. Assess the Lawn’s Condition

Inspecting the condition of your lawn helps you spot problems that could affect grass growth. When assessing your lawn after winter, you should:

• Check your lawn for dead patches, paying particular attention to slopes and other areas where snow typically accumulates.
• Locate and remove any thatch accumulation to improve drainage.
• Check for burrows, chewed grass and other signs of pest infestation and book a lawn pest control service if necessary.
• Test the soil’s pH and nutrient levels to help you determine how much fertilizer to use.

Alternatively, you could hire a lawn care professional to inspect your lawn. Lawn Doctor can create a personalized post-winter lawn care plan to suit your climate, grass type and yard characteristics.

2. Remove Debris

Ideally, you should rake your lawn throughout winter to remove dead leaves as they accumulate. However, heavy snowfall can make this task practically impossible. After the snow melts, remove rock salt, leaves, pine cones and other debris and thoroughly weed your lawn to promote healthy growth.

3. Aerate and Overseed

Aerating your lawn improves drainage and increases the soil’s mineral content. You should consider lawn aeration if your lawn becomes waterlogged over the winter. While you can aerate small areas by pricking the soil with a garden fork, aerator rollers are more efficient for large areas.

After aeration, encourage any dead or damaged areas to regrow by overseeding. Loosen the soil with a garden rake and apply fresh grass seed at the rate recommended on the packaging.

4. Apply a Fertilizer

Applying fertilizer to your lawn increases the nutrient content of the soil and can give new shoots a boost. Quick-release fertilizers rapidly increase nutrient levels and can help you revive damaged areas quickly. Meanwhile, slow-release formulas release nutrients more slowly, so you don’t need to apply them as often. If you test your soil, the results can help you determine the best fertilizer for your lawn.

5. Mow Regularly

You should stop cutting your grass completely over winter and wait until the ground thaws to resume mowing. Avoid damaging new growth by mowing in dry conditions and using a higher cutting height until the lawn is established. Most spring lawns require weekly mowing, but you should cut the grass more often if it grows rapidly.