Valley Green has been a northeast grass seed supplier for over 20 years now. We specialize in cool season grasses such as Perennial Ryegrass, Fescues, and Kentucky Bluegrass. Cool season grasses thrive in early fall and continue to grow into November. For our blog this week, we will be going over cool season grass care for late fall. You can use these tips and suggestions to ensure your grass has a healthy dormant period. If cool season grass is well taken care of in late fall, it has a higher chance of coming back and flourishing in the spring. If you have any questions on cool season grass care for late fall, don’t hesitate to contact one of our location managers for guidance.
Cool Season Grass Care for Late Fall
October Cool Season Grass Care
October is a good time to really start preparing cool season grass for winter. Start by testing your soil and add the amendments in accordance with the results. (Slow release fertilizers are best) Keep up with your leaf raking and removal. Letting the leaves pile up can suffocate your grass and weaken its defenses against harsh winter weather. Dispose of the leaves or use them to mulch your beds. You can also reduce your watering to about one inch every ten to fourteen days. Don’t forget to keep mowing but be sure to not scalp the grass.
November Cool Season Grass Care
You can keep mowing right into November. There are a couple of advantages to this such as reducing the risk of snow mold and preventing damage from voles. November is also a good time to apply your last dose of slow-release fertilizer. You should also continue to water into November because grass should be fully hydrated before winter but not overly wet.
December Cool Season Grass Care
December is the first month the lawn is likely to go dormant. During this time, the grass is very fragile so avoid walking on it. It is also important to not walk on the grass when there is a frost because foot traffic can weaken it. If you end up having to apply any ice melt near your lawn, try to wash it away with the hose as the chemicals can harm the grasses’ roots. You should also wash away any road salt that has ended up on your lawn. Use December’s downtime to plan out your spring landscaping plan.