Your Best Lawn.
September Lawn & Landscape Tips.
September Lawn & Landscape Tips.
September, the transition month from summer to fall!
Last year August went out hot and dry. Not this year. With a week full of 70-degree days and over 3” of rain, it feels like we are on the fast track toward fall this year!
You have heard me say it before, I’m sure you it won’t be the last time either, but no two seasons are the same in Oklahoma. When it comes to weather, there is not a chance you are going to get bored around here.
Weather, environmental conditions, are one of the three legs of the stool when it comes to having a great lawn and landscape.
What are the three legs? 1. Environmental conditions (weather). 2. Mechanical issues (mowing, aerating, etc.). 3. Applications (fertilizer, weed control, insect and disease control).
When the legs of a stool are off, it is hard to sit on. This summer the environmental leg was always a little off. Warm season lawns were a little slow to get going but finished strong. Fescue lawns struggled with too much rain when temperatures were warm in late June and early July resulting in more disease pressure followed by a six-week hot and dry spell that fescue lawns were not ready well prepared to handle.
Simply put, it was an ok summer for warm season turf (bermuda) and a less-than-ideal summer for cool season lawns (fescue).
Now that summer is fading away, it is time to turn our focus toward the lawn and landscape activities of fall.
September lawn and landscape activities will make a big difference in the success of your landscape not only this fall, but also next spring.
For your lawn and landscape, it is important to finish the year strong and get a head start on next year by checking off these lawn and landscape activities during September:
Overseed
If you have a cool season lawn (fescue), September through October is the time to add more seed (overseed). Fall is by far the most successful time to establish cool season turf. Fescue seeded this fall will have stronger roots next summer when the heat returns.
If you have not already, inspect your fescue in the next few days. If there are thin areas due to dense shade, brown patch damage, or areas damaged by a lack of moisture during the heat, plan on overseeding this fall.
Also, look for areas of the lawn that have become too shady for bermuda. Bermuda needs at least 6 hours of direct sunlight for the best performance. The key words are “direct sunlight.” Dappled sunlight is not “direct sunlight.” Anything less than 6 hours of full sunlight and bermuda will begin to thin.
Sooner or later, you will have to introduce fescue in your lawn if you have trees. Success is easier if you start the process before the bermuda has completely faded.
Fescue is also a good choice for the narrow side areas of houses where the turf only receives a few hours of direct sun each day.
What are the keys to successful seeding? Good seed soil contact, a quality fescue blend, and keeping the seeded area tacky moist until the seed germinates.
Need help evaluating shady areas of your lawn, schedule a lawn evaluation by responding to this email or call (405)367-3873.
Fall Pre-emergent & Post-Emergent
Winter annual weeds germinate as temperatures cool. Poa annua, annual bluegrass, is the first to germinate, followed by henbit and chickweed. These are the weeds that will keep you from having a clean landscape next January through April. When you skip the fall pre-emergent applications, you will be forced to use harsher products next spring to clean up the turf when you should be focused on developing a lush green turf. For the best results, a fall pre-emergent should be applied to your lawn before the end of September. Also, many bi-annual weeds, such as dandelions, are easier to control in the fall.
Note: DO NOT use pre-emergent herbicides now in areas that are going to be seeded this fall.
Lawn Fertilizer
When you fertilize and what you put on your warm season (bermuda and zoysia) lawns in September is critical to the health of your lawn. High nitrogen fertilizer should not be applied to warm season turf after mid-September. Applications of high nitrogen fertilizer 6 weeks before winter dormancy reduces winter hardiness and promotes spring dead spot disease. Typically, winter dormancy for bermuda in central Oklahoma begins in early November. Potassium is important for cold tolerance and disease control, but because potassium stays in the soil longer, a soil test is recommended before applying high amounts of potassium.
During September and October, we adjust the fertilizer to match weather forecast and soil conditions to insure bermuda lawns have strong root systems, are winter hardy and are positioned to start next year strong.
Fall is the best time to apply higher nitrogen fertilizer to fescue lawns. Plan on getting the first fall feeding on fescue this month. Because fescue is a cool season grass, it benefits from more nitrogen in the fall. Even if you will be overseeding your fescue this fall, it is important to get fertilizer on the existing fescue this month.
Mowing
Continue to mow often enough that you are removing no more than 1/3 of the blade of grass with each cutting. For warm season turf, maintain the height at or near 2 – 2 1/2” going into the fall. Avoid cutting short or scalping warm season lawns at this time. Anytime you cut below the leaf space and into the stems of the plant, you are causing stress. The plant will use nutrients stored in the root system to generate new leaves. At this time of the season, you don’t want to cause any stress that would require the lawn to use nutrients stored for the winter.
For cool season, it is best to cut the lawn shorter before seeding. This will increase seed to soil contact. After the new seed starts growing, gradually increase mowing height to 3”.
Fall Color
As the hottest part of the summer transitions to more moderate conditions summer color typically gains vibrancy in September before it begins to fade later in the month.
If you haven’t already, create a summer landscape journal. Grab a few minutes and take pictures of your landscape while the color is still strong. Jot down a few notes about plants that did well, plants you liked, plants that were just so-so, and list a few you would like to add to your landscape next year.
Next spring you will be glad to have the information when you make summer landscape plans. Too often we get excited about a plant that looks great in May only to have it disappoint when the heat is on in July and August.
Toward the end of the month or early October, you will want to replace your summer annuals with cool season annuals. Pansies, mums, and kale are the dominate players. Use more pansies than mums and kale since pansies typically overwinter and flourish the following spring.
Don’t you just love September? Trees, shrubs and flowers appear more vibrant, and fescue lawns return to their grander. What a wonderful time of the year!
Our goal, as always, is to help you have your best lawn and landscape.
If you need assistance with any of the September lawn and landscape tasks, or have questions concerning your lawn and landscape, give us call… (405) 367-3873.
Oh, one more thing…
Do you know what the most exciting thing about a week of rain in late August?
Who said a lower water bill? That’s good, but that isn’t the best thing.
The best thing…is better fall color!
A major ingredient for vibrant fall color is abundant moisture late in the growing season.
This week’s rain could deliver us one of the best fall color seasons central Oklahoma has ever seen.
Lorne Hall
Hall |Stewart Lawn + Landscape
(405)367-3873
Watering
With over 3” of rainfall in the past week, hopefully you turned your irrigation turned off or put it in a rain delay.
As nights and days begin to cool, and day length shortens, your landscape will need less water. Responsible watering is based on seasonal temperatures and moisture. Typically, during September, you can start reducing the number of days you water. It is always best to maintain deep soakings and reduce the frequency. At some point this month it may be best to water every 4 days rather than on the odd/even plan.
Continue to water trees planted in the last 12-18 months more than you water your lawn this month. Supplemental watering is critical for new additions to the landscape. Place a water hose at the base of the tree with the water flowing at a slow trickle for a couple of hours once per week. The goal is to get 10 gallons of water to the roots every week.
Webworm
Watch for fall webworm in your trees. Webworm create webbing on the ends of tree branches as the worm devours the leaves. Webworm can have more than one generation per season. The earlier generations do not cause lasting damage. But, the last generation can result in branch die back. To treat with an insecticide, you must penetrate the webbing. The most effective approach of control is to monitor trees and prune out the web areas while they are small. Place webbing in a plastic bag and dispose of it immediately. If you leave the branches on the ground, you will be amazed at how quickly the worms will be back in the tree.