Lawn Improvement in Autumn
Calendar tips for feeding, overseeding, applying pre-emergents

Fall feeding is a very important application for your lawn. It is not optional! This feeding allows the grass plants to recover from the summer heat and store nutrients for next spring’s growth. If it has been six weeks since the last lawn feeding, fertilize any time in September or early October.

How long has it been since your soil was last tested?  If it has been longer than four years, plan to collect soil samples prior to starting next spring’s feedings. Contact your county Extension office or a Certified Nursery Professional for instructions on how to collect the sample and where to send it for testing. When you receive the results, you will be able to select a fertilizer that will correct the deficiencies and meet the needs of your lawn.

The usual time for autumn pre-emergent applications for those in the Panhandle region is Sept. 1-10, for those in North Texas, Sept. 10-20. South Texans should delay their treatments until Sept. 20-30, while those in the Valley will apply pre-emergents in early to mid-October.

Two different products should be applied for complete winter annual weed control. Broadleafed weeds are kept in check with pre-emergent materials like Portrait and Gallery, which contain isoxaben as their active ingredient. Winter grasses are treated with Betasan, Dimension, Team, Pre-M or other recommended products.

These materials can be applied on the same day but require separate passes over the lawn. Do not combine both products in the spreader at the same time for the sake of hoped-for efficiency. (The combining does not allow for even distribution of both products.) Note that fertilizer and pre-emergent treatments can all be applied on the same day, provided it has been longer than six weeks since the last lawn feeding.

An elective activity would be overseeding warm-season lawns with ryegrass. Plan to put out the seed between Sept. 15 and Oct. 15. If you have a fescue lawn, overseed it with additional fescue to keep the turf dense. Sow at 4-5 pounds per 1,000 square feet. Do not use fescue seed to overseed other types of grasses. A word of caution: DO NOT apply pre-emergent materials to any turf areas that may be scheduled for overseeding.

Late October through early December is prime time to treat young broadleafed weeds.  Apply products containing 2,4-d at labeled rates according to turf type. Spray with a dedicated pump sprayer when winds are calm and temperatures are in the 60-85 F range.

Other voluntary duties might include relandscaping. Early fall is an excellent time to use a glyphosate product to remove grasses prior to bed preparation. A second application two to three weeks after the initial treatment may be needed, especially with bermudagrass if regrowth occurs.

To put a wrap on the autumn activities, plan to check the irrigation system on a warm fall day. Look for broken or clogged spray nozzles, and replace or clean as needed. Prune tree or shrub branches that have grown into sprinkler spray patterns. Include, in any relandscaping plan, a course of action to modify the irrigation to accommodate the new plant material.

Finally, it is wise to schedule a time to service or take to the shop your lawn mower, trimmer, edger, etc., for annual maintenance or repair. A little time spent now will ensure all fall chores are completed before the holidays are upon us.

About the author: Mike Sutton is a horticulture graduate of Purdue University with more than 20 years’ experience with turf grasses in Texas.