Fall is the best time to apply fertilizer in Nebraska. The cooler weather allows for active growth while the plant is rapidly storing nutrients in the roots for the following spring. Applying a slow release or organic fertilizer at a high rate late in the fall will allow your lawn to green the fastest the following spring. Typically late in the fall the annual weeds have died off so the fertilizer is focused on the target grass and very little is wasted. If you only receive one application per season this is the time–mid to late September.
Homeowners should fertilize during the fall, while the lawn and plants devote most of their energy towards their roots. Omaha, Nebraska lawn care companies recommend fertilizing twice during the autumn season: once in early fall with a high nitrogen fertilizer to strengthen new growth and once in late fall with a high phosphorus fertilizer to strengthen root growth.
Consumers who don’t feel comfortable fertilizing their lawn should consider hiring a lawn care service provider, like Above and Beyond Complete Grounds Maintenance, Inc.
Over-seeding
Fall weather provides the best time to seed and aerate your lawn. As the ground temperature drops the percentage of seeds that successfully germinate rises, meaning better growth. Roots stay active during the winter, so proper lawn care in the fall means stronger and faster growth in the spring.
Homeowners should look for patches of lawn damaged by summer heat and over-seed those areas. Over-seeding means to sow seeds in existing grass as opposed to digging up the grass and starting fresh. If you don’t want the hassle of taking care of your fall lawn projects, hire an Omaha Nebraska lawn care company, like Above and Beyond Complete Grounds Maintenance, Inc.
Germination takes about 10 to 15 days after sowing grass seeds. Homeowners should water their lawn on a daily basis during this period.
Aerating
Aeration assists the growth process by loosening soil and allowing water and nutrients to reach grassroots. Homeowners can aerate their lawn with a lawn aerator machine, which uses spikes to loosen soil. Lawn care companies in Omaha Nebraska like Above and Beyond Complete Grounds Maintenance, Inc. offer core aeration services.
Think of lawn aeration as a way of invigorating your lawn and opening it up to receive much needed moisture and fertilizer. Using an aerator or an aerator machine removes small cores of compacted soil and dirt from the soil. The holes, about 2-3 inches deep and usually no more than 4 inches apart, allow the soil to breathe and help the ground act as a sponge that absorbs everything it is given. Aeration also breaks up thatch to prevent soil compaction and hardening, making it easier for fertilizer to reach the grass seed at its roots. Don’t worry, after a couple of Nebraska rains and mowing the cores will be gone.
