House Logic
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- Aeration: Aeration gives your lawn room to breathe in the fall and makes room for new grass to spread in the spring without competing with weeds. If kids or pets play on your lawn frequently then plan on aerating twice a year; once in the spring and once in the fall. If your lawn is mostly for show, aerate once a year. The cost for professionals aeration runs about $150.
- Seeding: During the fall when the soil temperature is about 55 degrees is the best time to seed your lawn. Inexpensive seed ($35 for 15 pounds) often times has weed seed, hollow husks, and annual rye grass seed which grows until the first frost and then dies. Go for the quality seed ($55 for 15 pounds) because it resists drought, disease, and insects. Once you seed, water every day for 10-20 days until it germinates.
- Fertilizing: Fertilizing in late fall before the first frost helps the grass to make it through the winter and grow lush and green in the spring. Choose a product that is high (10% to 15%) in phosphorous which helps tremendously with root growth.
- Mulching: Instead of raking leaves, run over the leaves with your mower a few times to shred them into mulch. The mulched leaves will protect the lawn from the harsh winter wind and will decompose into organic matter to feed the grass roots.