Fall lawn care

Yard work this fall can pay off in healthier growth next spring:

Fertilize

Fall is a great time to fertilize not only cool-season grasses such as Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue but also warm-season Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, and zoysia grass.

Keep mowing

Cut grass every week or so until it has stopped growing.

Eliminate broadleaf weeds

In fall they're most vulnerable to weed killers.

Seed

Overseed bare spots early enough so that new grass is established before the ground freezes.

Dethatch and aerate

Pulling tines through the turf or extracting small cores of soil can reduce the layer of dead stems that keeps water from roots.

Test pH

Results indicate whether soil needs limestone or sulfur. County extension services (www.extension.org) offer pH tests for as little as $10.

For more advice see our Complete Lawn and Yard Guide.