Here are 3 simple steps:

Fertilize: Grasses grow best when the soil temperature is cool like it is now. There is still plenty of sun and warmth during the day, but at night the cool air allows the grass to grow. If you fertilize now, you will be promoting root growth and a hardening off that will give your grass a head start. A thick healthy lawn in the spring will resist weeds and insects next year. Your one hour spent to fertilize now will pay rewards all summer long next year.

We recommend Bonide Phase 4 because it contains iron and sulfur to protect and strengthen your lawn for a stronger spring green up.

Overseed: Most grass like ours slows down growth after a few years. There is a cycle in nature where the grass goes to seed and new plants replace the old ones. Because we cut the grass before it seeds, we disrupt this cycle. By over-seeding now in the fall we reinforce our older grass with younger grass, and keep our lawn young. By doing this now you will take advantage of the warm soil temperature you need to germinate seed and the cooler temps that promote the growth of the grass.

We recommend Bonide Sun/Shade Mix because it is a very diverse blend that sprouts quickly in many different environments.

Grub Control:

White grubs are damaging pests that begin invading lawns in early spring and again in summer. Grubs do their damage below ground, so the problem often goes undetected until too late. Beetle grubs can turn a fine-looking lawn into a patchwork quilt of yellow spots. In addition, birds and other animals will often start digging up your lawn looking for the tasty grubs to feed on.

The grubs are actually larvae of beetles and other insects; most are C-shaped and off-white with a dark head.

There are several types of grubs that are capable of damaging lawns, with two life cycles in a year. When you have grubs, the damaged areas of grass can be easily lifted and many times the grubs can be seen feeding on the edge of the healthy grass in the damaged area.

An effective treatment for grubs comes from Bayer. We stock the Dylox grub control because it is effective and safe around children and pets.

From the garden center,
Joe Dee
Dees Nursery & Florist
Oceanside NY
joe@deesnursery.com
www.deesnursery.com