Our 2023 lawn care season is ending rapidly here in New England. We have about one week left to get our lawns dialed in for Halloween and just a few short weeks after that, when the grass stops growing and we put our lawns to bed.
Today, I applied 24-0-5 with 2% iron to my lawn with high-calcium lime and liquid nutrition (Orbix 8-5-3). Here’s a quick checklist reminder for you to ensure a successful fall.
Feed Your Lawn
Nitrogen is critical for turf this time of year. Not only will things thicken up and green up, it will promote stronger and healthier roots. These last feedings are really going to help the lawn “wake up” next spring, too. Don’t skip this autumn step.
- 24-0-6 Flagship (apply at 3-4 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft.)
Balance Soil pH
Choose a high-calcium lime to adjust your pH. You can apply lime any time of year, but between now and Thanksgiving is the most common (and ideal).
Kill The Weeds
f you’ve mowed your new grass at least three times and it’s been 30 days post-germination, you can start hitting those broadleaf weeds like spurge, creeping charlie, and other pesky winter weeds. A kill now will also help prevent secondary crops next year.
- EndRun (at 1.5 oz. per gallon)
Mow Low
Aim for about 3″ this time of year. Keeping your lawn it shorter in the fall will encourage root growth and tillering – precisely what we want to happen heading into the winter.
For my lawn care operation here at Lawn Phix, I buy pallets of 24-0-5 with 40% slow-release and 2% iron, and CalStar High-Calcitic lime with humic acid. So, the options listed above are the best online alternatives I found while getting them shipped to your doorstep for free, too.
Any selective 3-way herbicide containing Dicamba and 2,4-D should do the trick for weed killers.
Of course, if a SiteOne, Valley Green, or other distributor near you is open to the public, these can be great options to save some money.
Here’s to one last push toward Halloween domination.
