Taking a few simple measures will kick-off fall on the right foot.

Seed
Whether your Bermuda grass lawn in the south has turned brown and gone dormant for the season, or your Kentucky blue grass lawn has suffered due to the extreme heat of summer in the north, make repair work easy by choosing the correct grass seed for the job.

For the South
In most southern climates, fall is the perfect time to be outdoors entertaining friends, but a brown lawn is not friendly enough for frolicking. Some of the neighbors may have scalped their lawns of turfgrass, planted ryegrass or mulched and fertilized with manure – accompanied by a very foul odor – in an attempt to grow a new lawn for winter. But who needs all that work? Everything you need to get a great winter lawn is combined into one bag, with Scotts Turf Builder EZ Seed Ultimate Winter Lawn Mix. Getting a soft, green carpet of grass is quick and easy with the Winter Lawn Mix.  It contains an expandable mulch, selected seed mix, and fertilizer.  Establishing a lawn has never been easier nor more successful.

In the North
Even if your lawn is in great shape overall, fall is a great time to repair those smaller, bare spots along the driveway or under the swing. Additionally, reseeding a lawn that suffers from thinning will give it a more lush, uniform appearance and help prevent weeds from establishing

Where to Start
For smaller areas, use Scotts Turf Builder EZ Seed to quickly and easily establish beautiful grass in bare spots. For all-over thickening or “overseeding,” try Scotts Turf Builder Sun &amp Shade Mix featuring WaterSmart coating technology. Both products contain high-quality grass seed that will aggressively spread to fill in bare spots. Both options yield early seeding success with less water.

Mow
For an established lawn, set the mower at the highest recommended setting for your grass type and leave clippings on the lawn. Doing so keeps the soil cooler, and encourages deeper root growth. Leaving the clippings on your lawn adds organic material back into the grass, enriching the soil.

Mulch Those Leaves
Leaves that have been left on the lawn and chopped up into dime sized pieces by a mulching mower blade provide a natural layer of organic matter that will break down and help nourish the lawn. Once the leaf bits settle in, microbes and worms get to work recycling them. Any kind of rotary-action mower will do the job chopping up any kind of leaf. With several passes of your mower, you can mulch up to 18 inches of leaf clutter. Adding a nice layer of lawn food afterwards will help break down the mulched leaves even faster. When grass is fed after mulching leaves, it will grow better and microbes will work harder.

Feed
Grass needs nutrients just like you do. With the proper feeding, grass will grow stronger, deeper roots that can endure harsh conditions and crowd out weeds. Use a starter fertilizer, like Scotts Turf Builder Starter Fertilizer, when planting new grass to promote root growth and seedling development.

Follow these easy tips to care for and repair your grass this fall. It will thank you by being thicker, greener and more weed-free come spring.

The post Tips for a Great Lawn this Fall first appeared on The How Do Gardener.

Lawn: Should you sod or seed your lawn?

“Lush green grass will always add to a home’s appeal,” says John W. Shields, certified landscape irrigation auditor, production manager for the landscape architecture department at Lose & Associates in Nashville, Tenn.  In this job, Shields has been the principal designer for most Cracker Barrel Old Country Store locations for over 10 years. He says, “The decision to grow your lawn by using seed or pre-grown sod is based on many factors, primarily the cost and climate of where you live.”

Cost comparisons: Pricing is approximate and varies from region to region.

* Dry seeding averages 10 cents to 12 cents per square foot
* Hydro seeding (typically a mixture of seed, mulch and water) averages 16 cents to 17 cents per square foot
* Sod averages 45 cents to 50 cents per square foot

Timing considerations:
When to seed or lay sod varies from region to region. You can find out more about your area by accessing the Plant Hardiness Zone Map in our Tool Shed section.

“The grass you select and the region you live in will dictate when to plant,” says Shields. “If you plant fescue grass, fall is the best time for planting because it’s cooler. Soil temperature should be around 50 to 60 degrees F with air temperatures around 60 to 75 degrees. Temperature above 90 degrees and below 50 degrees will cause your fescue to go into dormancy. If you plant Bermuda grass, be sure to plant in the summer when the soil temperature reaches above 60 degrees at night. Always remember the grass must have moisture for one to three weeks after planting.”

Remember to be patient when growing grass. Seeds can take weeks to grow and not every seed will germinate. The rate can be as low as 60 percent, but the end results are well worth it.

Garden: What’s the best way to organize plants?

As you plan a garden, keep an eye out for inspiration in daily life. Look through magazine pictures and gardens at your favorite local restaurants for ideas.

For example, Cracker Barrel restaurants tier their front gardens, a strategy you can easily duplicate at home by planting from largest to smallest. Start with large foundation trees such as evergreens in the back. Then move to the medium level tier and install shrubbery. Finally, think about the lowest level for ground cover. Cracker Barrel uses Liriope, commonly called monkey grass, for ground cover. It is a hardy plant that thrives in many hardiness zones – from Georgia up to Maine.

“Adding mulch around trees and in a garden makes for a nice clean look in your landscaping,” adds Shields. “Remember not to pile mulch too high – 3 to 4 inches should be plenty.  Mulching increases moisture retention and will actually reduce weeds in your garden.”

Care: How much should you water?

Plants need sun and water to survive, and while you can’t control the sun, you do have more control over water.

“If you want to water correctly, you must know the zone you’re located in,” says Shields. “For example, if you’re watering grass seed in zone six – which goes across the center of the U.S. from coast to coast, you would water fescue 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches a week. You would water Bermuda grass seed 3/4 to 1 inch per week.”

If you need additional guidance, ask your local gardening center, nursery, or cooperative extension. Also, remember to follow your city’s watering regulations since most areas have specific rules for residents on days and times to water.

With these tips you can revamp your landscaping to add value to your home and increase your personal enjoyment as you pull proudly into the driveway every day.

The post Top Things to Consider for Great Landscaping Results first appeared on The How Do Gardener.