Now is the best time to plant grass seed
Last week I talked about planting vegetables for a fall garden. Now is the BEST time of the year to plant grass seed as well. My husband has that on his chore list this weekend.
Later summer is the perfect time for grass seed to germinate and grow. Warm sunny days and cool nights leads to germination and a good start for the new seedlings.
The key with planting grass seed is to ensure seed to soil contact. It’s important to loosen up the soil for best success.
If you have bare spots that need filled in, you can use a hard-nosed rake and loosen the soil. If you have a larger area to cover, like we do, rent a slit seeder and it will insert the seed into the soil.
If you are starting a new lawn, prepare the soil for planting by lightly tilling if possible. Rake smooth and, of course, pick up any rocks. When we seeded our lawn many years ago, we have to rent a rockhound to gather rocks.
My good friend at Green Velvet Sod Farm, Randy Tischer, says you don’t need straw when seeding in the fall. Seed germinates so quickly that you don’t need to cover and protect it.
He also says, “Feed the baby.” This means use a starter fertilizer that will help the seedling get off to a good start.
The other critical factor is water. If we have nice fall rains periodically, you will be in good shape. However, if we have another dry fall, you will have to water; first, to get the seeds to germinate and second, to keep the new seedlings alive.
Don’t worry about weeds in your new lawn. These can wait. Herbicides should not be applied until you have cut the grass at least four to six times.
If you are seeding this fall and are worried about crabgrass in the spring, use a preemergent herbicide for crabgrass that is safe for newly seeded lawns.
Established lawns that have weeds here and there can also be cleaned up in the fall. In fact, fall is a great time to treat dandelions, plantain, and other broadleaf weeds.
They are actively growing and storing sugars for next season’s growth. Therefore, they take the herbicide into the roots more efficiently.
If you have crabgrass now, don’t worry about it until spring. A good freeze kills crabgrass this fall. Be sure to apply a pre-emergent crabgrass control in the spring and fertilize in order to thicken up the lawn and prevent crabgrass.
Turfgrass requires nitrogen to thrive. If you don’t fertilize, weeds encroach. If you fertilize on a regular basis, four times a year, the lawn is thick and prevents weeds from growing.
Everyone has a different opinion regarding the appearance of their lawn. Some like the weeds to provide a food source for honeybees and other pollinators while others prefer a perfectly green lawn. Neither is wrong or bad – it’s your own personal preference.
However, if you have a perfectly green lawn, plant flowers in your landscape for the pollinators. Adding a few flower beds here and there also provides a food source for these critters.
Pamela Corle-Bennett is the state master gardener volunteer coordinator and horticulture educator for Ohio State University Extension. Contact her by email at bennett.27@osu.edu.
In a cocktail tin, muddle together the watermelon cubes, simple syrup and cilantro stems and leaves.
This infuses the cilantro flavor into the drink nicely.
If you are one of those humans that think cilantro tastes like soap, I would first like to say, I’m so sorry for you. And also, try this drink with basil instead.
Once you have sufficiently juiced the melon, add the vodka and lime juice.Add ice to tin and shake
Strain the ingredients into a mule tin or rocks glass. (I don’t have a tin, I’m just not that kinda girl.) If you have a fine-mesh strainer, I would encourage you to double strain your drink, as the watermelon pulp tends to settle at the bottom and can look unappetizing, All you really want is the juice, not the pulp, anyway.
Fill cup with ice, top with ginger beer — as little or as much as you’d like — know that a little goes a long way. Garnish with additional sprigs of cilantro and enjoy.