How to mow, maintain and renovate your lawn -- or replace trouble spots with other greenery
The second week of September is a good time to renew or reseed a lawn. The cooler days and lack of freezing weather helps new seeds to sprout.
The best time to fertilize a lawn in Western Washington is fall and spring. If you only want to feed the lawn once a year, make it the fall feeding and then be sure to “grass cycle” the rest of the year. This means you mow and allow the clippings to return nitrogen to the soil by not collecting the cut grass.
Tip: Mow often so that you remove only the top one third of the lawn blade, and mow when the lawn is dry. This will prevent grass clumps from forming that can smother parts of the lawn grass.
September is also a great time to visit a local nursery and invest in trees, shrubs and perennials. You will find some great sales and most container grown plants transplant best in the fall.
Q. I want to renovate my lawn this fall. What are the steps to lawn renovation? — R.T., Enumclaw
A. First, decide on your fall field goals by determining what league of lawn perfection you aspire to. If you don’t run a golf course, or want to pay for a professional team of turf scientists, then striving for a perfect lawn is not practical. Nature abhors mono culture, so there will always be some weeds sneaking into your lawn, and moles in Western Washington seem to be smarter than all the traps and tricks.
If your end goal is just a lawn that stays mostly green all summer then the September checklist should include aeration (removing plugs of soil from the lawn) followed by a top dressing of at least a half inch of topsoil, and finally seeding with a high quality grass seed made for our climate. (Just say no to cheap grass seed.)
The next step is the all-important one: Keep the new seed moist no matter what the weather. You want the grass seed to sprout and take root well before winter sets in. Fertilize in September with a new lawn plant food and then in late October with a fall and winter lawn food. Tackle these renovation chores now and you’ll score beautiful yardage by late spring.
Q. My lawn never stays green on the sunny slope in front of our house. I do not want to tend a bunch of perennials on that slope nor do I want expensive shrubs. What do you suggest I plant that will keep out weeds and not require mowing? — P., Email
A. Junipers are jumping in to rescue you and your slope. There are low-growing, drought-resistant junipers that are evergreen and often dirt cheap at fall plant sales.
For large areas, the Broadmoor Juniper will form a dense mound and each plant can cover 6 feet or more. Similar varieties such as Blue Rug Juniper, Arcadia Juniper and the very low maintenance Sargent’s juniper are other options.
In a smaller area, look for the more compact junipers such as Youngstown Juniper, Compact Plumosa Juniper or the blue Tamarix juniper.
All newly planted shrubs need watering the first year as they establish a root system, and hand weeding will be needed until the junipers knit together and form a solid mass of weed suppressing foliage. Ask at your local nursery what junipers they have available and if they give a discount for a bulk purchase.
Q. Our lawn stays green all summer because we installed a sprinkler system. I like the lawn green and do not mind the water bill, so please no lectures or suggestions to “go golden” in the summer. Now my question is what to plant in the corners of the lawn where the sprinkler will not reach. There are two areas, each about 4 feet by 4 feet that turn brown. I want something green that does not need water. Thank you. — M.G., Olympia
A. You can always replace turf with gravel and then use container gardens planted with yuccas or sedum ‘Autumn Joy.’ But for a green plant in dry soil, consider the low-growing junipers listed in the previous question. There are also drought resistant barberries, low-growing spiraeas, and sedum groundcovers to fill in where the lawn won’t grow. Fall is a great time to replace sad sections of a dry lawn with drought-resistant plants.
Attend fundraiser for Master Gardener Foundation
Register for Marianne’s Zoom talk “Garden Opera” on landscape ideas and plants that add drama. The online event happens at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14. This is a fundraiser for the Master Gardener Foundation of Thurston County, so there is a $35 fee, but attendees also will be entered to win prizes including plants and a visit to the Binetti garden. Find more information on the Master Gardener Foundation website.
Marianne Binetti has a degree in horticulture from Washington State University and is the author of several books. Reach her at binettigarden.com.
