Fall lawn care can improve your home's value

By Marilyn Lusher Sponsored by: Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS®

A lush, green lawn can be a homeowner's pride and joy, as well as an asset when the time comes to sell.

However, beautiful lawns—whether they provide the owner enjoyment or help make a sale— don't grow that way by themselves. Autumn is an excellent time of year to build a lawn and help it recover from the ravages of the hot summer sun. Steps taken in October can give a lawn a head start on the spring planting season.

Fall is an ideal time for planting grass seed. Weeds that thrive during hot summer months lie dormant, and young grass does not suffer from summer heat. Furthermore, grass seed planted now will have time to sprout and provide the yard with an insulating cover for winter. Don't discount the value of insulation provided by grass. It just might keep underground pipes from freezing in the winter.

Proper cultivation is the key step, both in planting new lawns and reviving existing ones. The following are a few tips on cultivation provided by the Lawn Institute:

1) Expose the soil. A sharp-tined tool is suitable for small areas, but a power-operated lawn thinner might be more appropriate for larger jobs.2) When the turf is thinned out, gouge the soil. Grass seed will lodge in the holes, finding a place to sprout.3) Add fertilizer, preferably a type rich in nitrogen. The amount of fertilizer needed depends on the type used. For major lawn makeovers, fertilizer should not be spread until grading is completed. Otherwise, it will be unevenly distributed.4) Once cultivation is completed, plant the grass seed, spreading it evenly. About two pounds per 1,000 square feet should be sufficient if a spreader is used. Water the seeds and cover with mulch, such as a thin layer of straw, to keep the area moist. After the first watering, the seedbed will remain moist with occasional light sprinklings.

According to the Lawn Institute, perennial rye grass will sprout within a few days. Fine fescue or Kentucky Bluegrass varieties take longer: sprouting probably will not occur for about two to three weeks.

The new grass should be watered and mowed before it reaches twice its customary height. After the second mowing, dustfree lawn food may be applied. Late-blooming dandelions and winter weeds can be eliminated with weed-feed applications.

The yard is the first thing buyers see when they drive up to look at a home. A healthy lawn definitely adds curb appeal.