Lawn care specialized for the fall

Fall lawn care involves a specialized set of words. Here some samples of popular turfgrass jargon.

The time to aerify your lawn is just before or during a period of rapid growth. This is done with an aerifier machine, which pokes holes in the ground and loosens up the surface. The better machines, known as core aerifiers, deposit cores of soil on the surface as they make the holes.

An inexpensive form of nitrogen found in fertilizer is called ammonium. Once applied to your lawn, ammonium converts to nitrate and is taken up by roots.

Broadcasting is the preferred method for putting fertilizer on your lawn. Your goal is to broadcast the fertilizer lightly and uniformly over the grass.

Grasses adapted to shade are called fine fescues. They include hard fescue, chewings fescue and creeping red fescue.

Many of the soils in our area are too acidic for the best growth of grass, and lime is applied to correct this situation. Timing is not critical for applications of lime.

Lawns need more nitrogen than any other fertilizer nutrient. It is the main ingredient in most lawn fertilizers, and it works best if applied in fall.

Organic fertilizers come from animals, plants and fertilizer factories. They can be synthetic or natural, and they are less likely to burn your plants than other fertilizers.

Grass seed is planted in existing lawns by a process called overseeding. It goes hand in hand with aerification, which creates holes in the ground where seed germination takes place.

The amounts of grass seed, lime and fertilizer to put on your lawn are stated in pounds per 1,000 square feet. This is why measuring your lawn area is good before you go shopping for these items.

Sowing grass seed without preparing the soil gives poor results. It is best to cultivate the earth and make a seed bed before planting.

Some lawn fertilizers contain nitrogen in a slow release form. They provide a uniform supply of nitrogen over a longer period than less-expensive, fast-acting fertilizers.

You will need a spreader to apply lawn fertilizer. Two kinds are available: rotary and drop.

Use a starter fertilizer when planting grass. This product is low in the nitrogen, which can burn grass seedlings and high in the phosphate needed for root growth.

The grasses to plant in sunny areas are turf-type tall fescues. This group of plants includes Rebel Exeda, Masterpiece and Falcon IV but not Kentucky 31.

Urea is a fast-acting form of nitrogen found in lawn fertilizer. It turns to ammonium after you put it on your lawn, and too much of it will kill the grass.

You can fertilize and control weeds at the same time by putting down a weed-and-feed product. Some of these products are made for crabgrass, and others are for broadleaf weeds.

Some bags of fertilizer are sold as lawn winterizer. What makes them different is their high potash content.

Davis is an Extension Agent for the Virginia Cooperative Extension. He can be reached by calling 455-3740.