|Please provide a year's cycle of lawn care for me. (Oct, fertilize; Nov, reseed, etc.) Also, I have some slimy stuff where the lawn is sparse. What's that about?|
|Established lawns need regular care if they are to remain beautiful. This care includes such things as plant feeding, reseeding, and proper mowing and watering. In your gardening region, fall offers an ideal season for renovating established lawns since it enables gardeners to combine an effective weed control program with lawn care.
When feeding lawns in spring, after growth starts, apply 3 pounds, of Lawn fertilizer per 100 square feet of area when the grass is dry. Knock the plant food off the blades by ruffling the grass with the back of a rake, and then soak thoroughly. When revitalizing lawns in fall, first spray the entire lawn area with selective lawn weed control. Then, when weeds begin to die, apply 3 pounds of lawn fertilizer per 100 square feet and soak the lawn thoroughly. A day or two later go over the lawn, loosening thin areas with a rake. Reseed these areas and roll or tamp them to make certain seed is in firm contact with the soil.
In reseeding lawns, use about 3 pounds of good grass seed per 1,000 square feet of area. Be certain that the seed planted is suited to the location. For example, do not plant bluegrass in dense shade.
Lawns should be watered thoroughly--soaked to a depth of 4 or 5 inches--not sprinkled. Sprinkling encourages shallow root development and such turf is easily killed. When mowing, do not cut bluegrass lawns shorter than 11/2 inches.
If there's slimy stuff in your lawn, rake it out and reseed in fall when the weather cools. If your lawn is on poorly draining soil, it may have developed a fungal disease. Try to correct the drainage problem, and then put your lawn on a regular feeding schedule so it can grow lush and green.