Denny's Soapbox

Questions and Answers

As expected the heat and drought of the past two months has brought up lots of great questions. Today I’m choosing those E-mails and phone call questions that I believe may be on your mind too.

Denny,

My lawn is all brown. What can I do to green it back up?

First let’s hope your lawn is just sleeping and not dead. Lawns that did receive some moisture could still be alive. You can wait until enough rain falls or water with your sprinkler. Your grass will either start to green up or it won’t especially when night temps stay in the 50’s. Do not fertilize until you know. The sooner you water the more lawn you may save. Fertilize only if you’ve been watering or we get several rains.

Denny,

I was planning to re-do my lawn this fall. I understand that it should be done no later that the end of September. When is the next best time to put grass seed down?

Many homeowners aerate their lawns in the fall, a great thing to do. The soil, however, has to be moist enough so that the process pulls out 3” long plugs. That won’t happen until we get a couple more inches of rain. That might not happen until mid to late fall. The next best time to reseed is in the winter Place new seed on your lawn in February or even early March. My recommendation for renewing the lawn and receiving the benefits of aeration would be as follows:

1. Aerate mid to late fall, as late as early December.

2. The pulled soil plugs will break down over the next few months.

3. Apply your grass seed to your lawn in late winter.

4. Seed will germinate as soil temperature warms.

5. Cut the new grass in the spring as soon as it’s needed.

Denny,

How late in the fall can I re-landscape the front of my home?

You can plant trees and shrubs until the ground freezes. You can easily install new plants through December although November’s weather tends to be more moderate, making for a nicer planting environment. An added benefit to late fall planting is the end of season prices that can be very budget friendly.

Denny,

I’ve heard you recently state that pansies should be planted in the fall. Is there a special type that’s better to plant that will survive our cold winters?

Pansies, as a family are all cold hardy. Most all pansies are different varieties of the Universal pansy which is the cold hardiest of all. Plant your pansies where they’ll receive winter sun and that you can enjoy their garden appearance from inside your home. Planting your pansies in the fall will give you six month’s enjoyment versus six weeks when planted in the spring.

Denny,

Should I treat for Emerald Ash Borer now or wait until spring?

There are 2 schools of thought. Some arborists say to treat with Merit in the spring. I go with those experts that say to treat with Merit this fall to give the Merit enough time to distribute itself throughout the entire tree, especially larger trees.