Your
YARD AND GARDEN

Fall is the ideal time of the year to work on the lawn. Most cool season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, tall fescue and fine fescues) thrive from September through May. Roots continue to grow even though top growth looks minimal. Everything done to the turf during the fall has a direct bearing on the lawn's appearance next summer.

Early September fertilizer applications are the first step. Nitrogen will stimulate shoot growth when temperatures are still warm enough to promote top growth. Typically, homeowners should apply about one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet In most cases, you can read the lawn fertilizer bag; most are formulated to apply one pound of actual nitrogen per 1,000 square feet.

There is no easy method to calibrating fertilizer spreaders. The best bet is to measure the lawn and determine square feet. Then set the fertilizer spreader so it takes several passes to apply all the fertilizer for that area.

For example, if the fertilizer bag says it will cover 10,000 square feet and you have 5,000 square feet, you'll need half a bag. Set the fertilizer spreader on the lowest possible setting (smallest opening) and continue to apply the fertilizer over the required area.

Apply the fertilizer in a north-south direction, and then in an east-west direction. If some remains, continue to apply in diagonals or in a circular fashion. The goal is to avoid streaks as well as apply the fertilizer uniformly over the entire area.

If you intend to seed in the fall, apply fertilizer at half the recommended rate, and incorporate the food into the soil before seeding.

You may have to refill the spreader if you are fertilizing an area larger than the area listed on the fertilizer bag. Avoid filling the spreader in the yard, as spills and leaks can cause serious turf burning.

Check the spreader before filling to make sure each drop hole is unobstructed. Clogged holes can create an uneven fertilizer pattern. Carefully remove offending particles with a fine wire. Don't try to dislodge clogs with a screwdriver or punch; you may end up making the hole larger and affecting the drop pattern.

Everything done to the turf during the fall has a direct bearing on the lawn's appearance next summer.

September fertilizers can be of a higher nitrogen percentage. Nitrogen is the first number in the analysis and refers to the percentage of nitrogen in the bag. For example, a 10-20-20 fertilizer contains 10 percent nitrogen and 20 percent each of phosphorus and potassium.

In September, the fertilizer analysis can be high as 33 percent, though most formulations will be in the 20s. It is crucial with any high fertilizer application to apply sufficient water to avoid burning the grass. Hopefully, fall rains will occur. If they don't, you'll have to water the lawn at least an inch or two per week.

David Robson is an Extension Educator, Horticulture, at the Springfield Extension Center, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Illinois. You can write to Robson in care of Illinois Country Living, P.O. Box 3787, Springfield, IL 62708. Telephone: (217) 782-6515. E-Mail: robsond@idiea.ag.uiuc.edu

16 ILLINOIS COUNTRY LIVING SEPTEMBER 1997