Is Bermuda Grass a Pest?

Fescue lawns are lush, green and inviting year-round. They can be stressed by the hot summers and may need a bit of attention at this time. This is a cool season grass and starts to take on more vigor as the nights cool. Pump up your lawn by applying a balanced fertilizer such as Best Turf Supreme. If brown patches have appeared in the summer, now is the time to reseed. Simply rake out the dry, brown areas. Sprinkle the seed and cover with 1/8” to ¼” of compost such as Red Star Mix & Mulch or Gardener & Bloome Harvest Supreme. Keep the top 1” to 2” of soil moist by watering frequently (3 to 4 times per day) but only for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not water in the evening after 5pm so the lawn will go to bed dry and not encourage fungus growth. If Bermuda grass has invaded the lawn, now is the last opportunity until next spring to spray Monterey Turflon Ester to kill the Bermuda grass without injuring the Fescue lawn.

Fall is California's remarkable "Second Planting Season"

Now is an ideal time to plant Trees, Shrubs, Groundcovers, Bulbs, and Lawns. The soil is still warm enough to promote strong,rapid root growth, and cooling fall temperatures are less stressful to new transplants, than Hot summer weather. By next Spring, plants will have well developed root systems,enabling them to put on a substantial amount of growth and truly"SPRING AHEAD". Just remember to use a good starter Fertilizer Like DR.Earth Organic 2 Starter, and keep the soil moist around new plantings until fall rains arrive.

Wildflowers!

Now is the time to prepare your soil to plant wildflowers. You may plant successfully from now through early November, before the fall rains start. Plant at this time and you will have larger plants with many more flowers that if you planted this next spring. To have a bountiful display of spring flowers, just sprinkle out the flower seed and rake it into the top 1/4” to ½” of the soil and let mother nature do the rest (most of the time). But…if your want to ensure a great color display next spring, it is best to prepare your ground as you would any other seed bed. Start by removing any large weeds. A single application of Roundup will reduce the weed population and not leave harmful residues in the soil. Next add a good compost on top of the ground. A 2 cu ft bag will cover approximately 100 sq ft. Then turn over the ground with a shovel or rototiller. You may skip this step if the area is exceptionally large. Now rake out the area removing any weeds or dirt clods. Sprinkle the seed evenly and rake lightly so that the seed is about ¼ to ½ inch deep. Water well so the ground is moist but not soggy wet.

Most of the seeds will sprout in 3 to 8 weeks. Help Mother Nature a little by watering during dry spells and feeding with a balance commercial fertilizer. Then stand back and watch that old neglected area turn into a riotous array of color next spring.

Thanks to our Newsletter partners