When Erica Tharpand her husband bought their home in Framingham four years ago, the lawn needed some work. Tharp looked at the scraggly grass with its dying tree, and decided she wanted something that was less work and more eco-friendly.

"That was the goal minimal maintenance and as least harm as possible," she said.

So Tharp, a yoga teacher, decided to rip out her front lawn and replace it withdrought-resistant grass and native wildflowers. Now theres waist-high goldenrod, orange butterfly weed and black-eyed Susans.

It's not all free and easy; Tharp is fighting back some overly ambitious clover, and even the native plants are suffering from the summer drought. But it's a lot less work than a traditional lawn, she says: No weekly mowing, no fertilizer, and lots of happy bees.

"My lawn is much more wild than I think the average lawn is," said Tharp, who also posted signs reading "please excuse the weeds, we're feeding the bees" in case the neighbors wondered what was up. "It's not neat and tidy right now, not at all. But neat and tidy isn't always good for us, right?"

Lawns may seemlike a trivialplace to focus your eco-energies, but they cover about 40 million acres of the United States that'sabout the same land area as wheat. (And that estimate is from 2012; researchers say the amount of lawn has almost certainly increased as the suburbs have sprawled ever outward.)

To keep all this grass green, Americans use about 59 million pounds of pesticides on their lawns and gardens each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, and an astonishing9 billion gallons of wateroutdoorseach day.

"It sucks up resources, whether it's money, whether it's gasoline, whether it's fertilizer, whether it's pesticides," saidUli Lorimer, the director of horticulture at the Native Plant Trust. And when there's a big rainstorm, all those extra chemicals wash into local waterways, prompting algae blooms and other hazards."So there is real environmental harm that comes from the average stereotypical suburban house."

While interest inalternative lawns has been growingfor decades in the drought-stricken Southwest, it's been slower to catch on in New England. But that's starting to change.

"Inthe beginning I was having to explain things a little bit more, now it's people coming to us wanting what we're offering," saidAndrew Whittaker, the owner of the eco-landscape company Green Abundance by Design, which did Tharp's lawn. He started thebusiness in 2016 and has seen sales increase 50 to 100% each year. He says greater Boston is primed for a "suburban reformation" a rethinking of the traditional lawn.

Whittaker says most of his clients are motivated by a desire to attract and support pollinators and other wildlife. Other lawn-watchers say the growing intereststems from several factors: the alarming decline of bees; the sudden popularity of No Mow May; and the extreme heat, drought and torrential downpours becoming more common with the changing climate.

Dorchester resident Estella Mabrey had another motive: she grew up in rural Alabama and longed for that proximity to nature. "My mother had flowers all the time. Big, beautiful flowers. And we always had the monarch butterflies coming and hummingbirds," she said.

So, over the 28 years she has lived in her house, she's replaced her yard with a colorful array of flowers and vegetables. "It's just a breath of fresh air," she said. "You can sit out here and just enjoy the beauty of nature."

Other people, likeRacy Cardosa, just got fed up with lawn care.

Tips to make your lawn more eco-friendly:

1. Set your mower blade higher

2. Leave the lawn clippings

3. Stop pouring chemicals on your lawn

4. Water it less often

5. Don't be that sprinkler guy

6. Mow less frequently

7. Don't mow the weird parts

8. Leave the leaves on the lawn

"I wasn't getting anything out of it," she said. "It was just a big waste of time. Like, what am I getting out of grass? Nothing."

Her house in Dorchester had grassy yards on the front and side. They were small, but there was enough room for a vegetable bed. She installed one a couple years ago, and over time added another, then another. Then twopeartrees, grapes, strawberries, flowers for the bees, and peppermint under the flowers.

"I just kinda went crazy with it," she said.

Now instead of a time-sucking lawn that gives her nothing but grief, she has huge heads of broccoli, heaps of tomatoes, enoughcollard greens to last all winter and a beloved blueberry bush. Because she chose plants that thrive in our climate, she uses only a little organic fertilizer and no pesticides.

Cardosa said she gets a lot of positive remarks from the neighbors especially when handing them free organic vegetables. "They always walk by and they go, 'Oh, it looks great!' " she said. But so far none of them have followed suit.

There is, of course, a place for lawns it's hard to have a family cookout or slip-n-slide without them. Lawns also suck up rainwater and store some carbon (though far less than deeper-rooted plants). And having a green lawn in New England isless disruptivethan having one in the desert Southwest.

But most of the lawn around here is non-native turf, so it needs a lot of water, fertilizer and pesticides to stay green. And it doesnt offer much food or habitat to native animals, especially when cut very short.

So scientists who study how people manage their lawns yes, there are such people, many associated with the federally funded Yard Futures Project are looking for ways to encourage alternative lawns, or at least alternative lawn care.

In other words, "how do we make things less bad?"asks research ecologistSusannah Lerman, who works for the U.S. Forest Service in Springfield, Massachusetts.

So far, social science research has found that most people want mainly two things from their lawn: They want it to look neat and they want it to be easy. Lerman's most famous studyis a case in point.

For the 2018 study, she convinced 16families in Springfield to let researchers mow their lawns at different intervals either every one, two or three weeks. She found that mowing every other week increased the number of bees and wildflowers in the yards. (A follow-up study found that the longer grass didn't bring more ticks.)

"When you really let it go, it kind of looks messy. And so it's really trying to find that sweet spot."

But she also found that people kinda freak out if their lawn is a mess.

"The yards that were mowed every three weeks, they just did not look nice," said Lerman. "The homeowner would run out to the carto meet us and be like, 'I am so glad you're here! My neighbors were getting so upset with me!' "

"That, to me, was an indication that ... people aren't ready for that three weeks," she said."When you really let it go, it kind of looks messy. And so it's really trying to find that sweet spot."

There are lots of small things people can do to make their lawns more eco-friendly. For instance, clover helps enrich soil with nitrogen, so maybe you dont need to kill it with pesticides? That part of your lawn on a hill thats really hard to mow, maybe dont mow it. And if you get really ambitious, put in some native wildflowers.

If you're worried about letting the lawn look too wacky, Katrina Crocker, lead horticulturist with Belmont's Landscape Collaborative, suggests using "cues to care" visual signals that your lawn "isn't just a wild place of mayhem." For instance, you can grow a patch of wildflowers, but mow a border to show you're actually doing it on purpose.

As for No Mow May,experts I interviewed were unsure how much it actually helps pollinators who feed off spring flowers it depends where you live and what's growing in your lawn. But they all loved the idea of shaking up lawn care for a month, and getting people to see their lawns differently.

Framingham homeowner Erica Tharp feels the same way. "If we all did something little, we could maybe change future generations' concept of what a housing tract could look like, what lawn care should be," she said.

It starts with changing our idea of a lawn from something that takes and takes, to something that gives back.

Originally posted here:
Want to help the planet? Rethink your lawn - WBUR News

The first way to help out seniors in your community is by volunteering at a senior care facility. If you're unfamiliar, there are several different long-term living options for elderly individuals who may need everyday assistance or special medical care. Most commonly, these are nursing homes, board homes, or senior care facilities, each providing varying levels of care (per National Institute on Aging).

According to How Stuff Works, these places often rely on volunteer help to provide a fulfilling experience for their members. In fact, depending on their funding, some facilities are even required by federal law to have 5% of their patient care performed by volunteers. Plus, those living in such homes often have few visitors, so your time and attention would be greatly appreciated (per Upworthy).

If you're interested in helping out seniors in this way, start by researching the various elderly care facilities in your area and identify what specific volunteer opportunities they offer. You may want to visit a couple of afternoons a month and just chat with the seniors or you might prefer something more structured like helping out with events or outings.

Read more:
5 Rewarding Ways To Help Seniors In Your Community - The List

Bentley Kinzer carved a bear sculpture out of wood with a chainsaw at his house in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG Parkersburg South High School student Bentley Kinzer thought he wanted to pursue a career in the medical field, and his thought was only reassured after taking Human Anatomy with PSHS teacher Christopher Meckley.

I really enjoyed human anatomy last year, he said. I have always thought I wanted to do something in the medical field and that class made me know that is what I want to pursue.

Kinzer plans to attend West Virginia University after finishing his high school degree. He wants to go there to be closer to his sister Hannah. He is unsure of what exactly he will study but is trying to decide between biology or exercise physiology. He said he could see himself working at a hospital or in a physical therapy department in the future.

I picked biology because I think that it is a major that could lead me into multiple different avenues of the medical field because Im not exactly sure which route I want to take yet, he said. I thought about exercise physiology because Ive also thought about becoming a physical therapist and that is a common major to become that.

Kinzer dreams of eventually opening up a gym and a baseball facility so he can teach kids like him how to lift and play baseball. He said his inspiration for this dream came from Mary and Dave Jeffery, friends of his family, who taught him how to lift.

Bentley Kinzer is the catcher for the Parkersburg South High School baseball team. This was taken during a game at City Park in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)

They have been such great role models to me, he said.

Kinzer is the catcher on the PSHS baseball team and said his baseball skills have only improved since he started lifting. He started playing baseball at the age of 4 and hasnt stopped playing since. It didnt take long for him to realize how much he truly loves the game.

My interest began right when I started playing, he said. Baseball means everything to me.

Kinzer is also incredibly active in his school community.

The four years I have been here at South I have been a part of the South Side Psychos, which has been an absolute blast, he said.

From left, Hannah Kinzer and Bentley Kinzer take a photo together at Way Back Burger in Hilton Island, S.C. (Photo Provided)

Kinzer leads the PSHS student section and helps support other teams during games. He also works in the main office as a co-op student.

In his spare time, Kinzer likes to volunteer in the community. He has volunteered at local soup kitchens, the Humane Society of Parkersburg and with a wide variety of other causes.

It is truly a rewarding feeling, he said. It gives me the feeling that I am a part of something bigger than myself.

Kinzer also enjoys running his own landscaping business, spending time with his friends and carving bears out of wood with a chainsaw. He said his landscaping business, Bentleys Lawn Care, really took off this summer.

I do everything from landscaping, pressure washing and mowing, he said. I enjoy how Ive been able to hire my own workers and schedule jobs, sometimes even three weeks out.

From left, Brandon Holiday, Bentley Kinzer and Josh Smith attend the Parkersburg South High School 2022 Prom. (Photo Provided)

Kinzers chainsaw technique also took off this summer. He watched a YouTube video of someone else carving a bear out of wood with a chainsaw and thought hed like to do it himself. He tried it and was surprisingly pleased with the results.

James Dobbs can be reached at jdobbs@newsandsentinel.com.

From left, Mary Jeffrey, Bentley Kinzer and Dave Jeffrey take a photo to commemorate a powerlifting competition Kinzer participated in. The Jeffreys helped Kinzer train for the competition that he competed in at the Dils Center in Parkersburg. (Photo Provided)

Bentley Kinzer was a member of the 2022 Post 15 legion baseball team. (Photo Provided)

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Teen of the Week: Parkersburg South's Bentley Kinzer is a man of many talents - Parkersburg News

While the kitchen received over 23% (146 people) of the vote, the bathroom gained over 26% (165 people). This may be shocking, as the kitchen is one of the most common areas to renovate. Further, Go Banking Rates says that renovating the kitchen before the bathroom makes the most sense, especially for those who want to sell soon. This is because, while remodeling the kitchen will cost more upfront, it will give you more return on your investment once sold. Even if you're not planning to sell your home soon, you may still want to remodel the kitchen first because this space is typically seen by guests, while your private bathroom probably isn't.

However, Petri points out that remodeling the bathroom may make it easier for you to relax in your space. Updating the tub or shower could help you really enjoy the time you spend in the bathroom. Additionally, it could make the space safer by updating slippery flooring or exposed electrical outlets. Lamont Bros. says that a bathroom remodel may be more convenient than a kitchen remodel since most homes have more than one bathroom, while they typically only have one kitchen. If you're sticking to a tight budget, renovating the bathroom will make more sense because it costs less money upfront.

Read more:
26% Of Homeowners Would Rather Renovate This Room Instead Of Their Kitchen - House Digest

The basement is a great spot to build a designated laundry room due to its open layout and utility hookups. Often, though, the aesthetics leave a lot to be desired.

Your basement laundry room doesnt have to be dingy or dull; you can make your space more functional and stylish with a few simple changes. Your newly renovated space may even make you enjoy doing your laundry! Here are seven of our favorite basement laundry room ideas and a few considerations to keep in mind while remodeling.

Basements are usually dark and dreary, but you can add warmth and cheer to the space with the right color scheme. We recommend using light neutrals with a few thoughtful accent colors. For something fresh and calming, choose light shades of green and more neutral blues. If you prefer a crisp, clean look, pair white with a soft neutral beige or brown. To add some energy to the laundry area, consider using a bold accent color like a bright blue or red.

The basement is a great spot to experiment with striking wallpaper and bold patterns. These design elements can really add some excitement and personality to the space. There are a few different ways you can try out this style. Use peel-and-stick wallpaper with a geometric pattern or bold design to create an accent wall or coat all the walls in the area. If you have a shelving unit, you can use bright wallpaper or contact paper to back each cubby. Also consider adding a patterned rug to tie the space together and prevent your feet from freezing on the cold basement floor.

Storage is key to any laundry space. Open shelving is ideal for items you use often, such as detergent and dryer sheets. Countertops can also provide additional storage space and a spot for folding clean clothes. Cabinets, cubbies, and other closed storage units are better for stashing away things you dont need as frequently, like other cleaning products and seasonal items. Incorporate a few types of storage options to really make the most of your space.

Some homeowners are lucky enough to have a separate room in the basement for laundry. But if your basement is one open space, its useful to divide the space by function. This can help keep your basement organized, give it purpose, and optimize the space you have. Designate one corner, wall, or closet for laundry (depending on where your utility hookups are located). Then section off the area with doors, curtains, or a room divider. Separating the space from the rest of the basement clutter and activity can make your laundry room feel calmer and more put together.

Laundry rooms are not usually huge, so making the most of your space is crucial. Install countertops along the length of the wall to ensure you have plenty of space for sorting and folding your clothes. You should optimize your vertical space too. Add floor-to-ceiling cabinets next to the washer and dryer. Utilize the space above your appliances too by installing open shelving or a drying rack.

If your laundry area is tight on space, prioritize pieces that are convertible or have multiple functions. For example, you could use a storage unit with attached hanging rods to add more storage and air-drying space to your laundry setup. Or look for a stow-away ironing board that can be mounted on the wall and folded down during use. There are many options available with storage shelves and hooks for added functionality.

Maybe youre asking yourself, How can I make my basement laundry room nice? If that sounds like you, its time to start decorating. Though functionality is king in any laundry room, the right decor can transform the space into a warm and welcoming area. Add touches of your style with wall art, rugs, and stylish storage baskets or jars. Consider adding some greenery to liven up the place, too. If your basement doesnt get a lot of sunlight, a faux plant can be just as effective as a live one.

Is it bad to have a laundry room in the basement? Absolutely not! With these design tips and safety considerations, you can create a laundry area that youll genuinely enjoy using every week. First, ensure your appliances are installed correctly and are safe to use. Then you can really transform your laundry room! Make sure the space is functional with plenty of storage options and counter space. Then add some design touches with energizing color schemes, bold patterns, and decorative accents. We cant promise youll suddenly begin to enjoy doing the laundry, but at least youll have a beautiful new space to do it in.

More:
7 spectacular basement laundry room ideas to create a warm, inviting space - 21Oak

The project got underway about three months ago, and it's about to wrap up Phase One.

MACON, Ga. The Temptations, Four Tops, and Ron White are just some of the acts set to hit the stage in Macon within a few months. They will be some of the first acts to touch theMacon City Auditorium stage after they complete phase 1 of their facelift.

Crews are putting their finishing touches on the facelift of the historic building. However, they faced a tight schedule for phase 1.

"We had 90 days to complete phase one. We started Memorial Day," says Chris Brown, the superintendent of Sheridan Construction.

Regarding the outcome, the General Manager at the Macon Centreplex, David Aiello, says it will be well worth it.

"It's going to be more comfortable. It's going to fit the patrons a little bit better. It's going to really allow us to push the envelope with having back-to-back events and making sure the county is really getting the best return on their investment," said Aiello.

"Phase 1 of the project was what's overhead. We did a lot of demos, installed some new steel for catwalks for performances," says Brown.

Phase 1 included remodeling the concession lobby downstairs and the restrooms downstairs. One of their first projects was to open the floor up in the basement for the elevator in the concession lobby on the auditorium floor, but then some things happened.

"(We) encountered a few unforeseen conditions, and we are currently in a holding pattern for the redesign of that space to overcome the issues that we have found," says Brown.

"That 90 days is up next Wednesday, so as you can see, we are cleaning up and getting ready to turn the space back over," says Brown.

Turn the space over for stage lights and the spotlights to be back in action.

"Along with our other music venues in downtown, it's really helping Macon get back to its musical heritage and musical roots," explained Aiello.

They are aiming for phase 2 of the facelift to start next summer with new restrooms upstairs, a lot of painting, and re-doing the carpet, but they may end up doing some small projects before the summer.

Read more from the original source:
Crews are finishing up phase 1 of construction on the Macon City Auditorium - 13WMAZ.com

T

he owners of Jack's Hardware and Farm Supply in Minneapolis' Seward neighborhood prove the first year can be a bear, even for a veteran entrepreneur with a vision hailed by key supporters.

Nancy St. Germaine, owner of South Side-based Raven Construction, was eager to buy nearby Welna Hardware on E. Franklin Avenue last year when she learned that owners Jim and Sue Welna were planning to retire.

The Welnas, the local nonprofit development agency and members of the community encouraged St. Germaine and her husband and business partner, Justin Wells, to buy the store, saying their vision of urban farming would thrive there.

Several months in, she and Wells who also is a Raven carpenter have discovered that disrupting the existing store model has been a struggle. Sales at the store, which they renamed Jack's Hardware and Farm Supply, are lagging projections by 40%.

"It's been a bad year overall," St. Germaine said. "If sales don't increase significantly, we're not sure how we will survive winter.''

The couple are raising their children in a home they own in south Minneapolis and are part of the burgeoning urban gardening and vegetable-growing trend, on city boulevards and yards.

They also were Welna customers.

"Sue and I saw great potential in Nancy and Justin because of their commitment to community and their success with Raven Construction and our belief the sale would enhance the community," said a disappointed Jim Welna, who owned the store for 24 years with his wife. "We saw their vision for urban farming, which that neighborhood wanted, and we thought they would do well."

Seward Redesign, the local nonprofit development agency, and others who knew of St. Germaine's work and solid reputation also encouraged the couple to buy the store. Raven has been a successful small commercial contractor in the Twin Cities for nearly a decade.

The farm store part of the Jack's Hardware has worked well. However, hardware sales declined this year, dragging down overall revenue.

Jack's management budgeted for overall sales of $600,000 this year, about what Welna brought in last year. However, sales were down 40% for the first six months of 2022.

The couple has added in-store window repairs, locksmith services, bicycle repair and do-it-yourself classes.

"The store looks fabulous," Welna added. "The services are more than Sue and I ever provided."

St. Germaine, partly to make room for more garden-center supplies, cleared out old hardware inventory that wasn't selling and moved electrical and plumbing supplies into the renovated basement.

"We have [seven employees] who are experts and can help them find everything they need, upstairs or downstairs," she said. "And, if necessary, we can order what they need in a few days."

The overhaul put off some longtime customers and they have let St. Germaine know they are unhappy.

Inflation also hit at the same time the couple took over the store, and the price increases are another point of complaint.

Welna, whose family has been in the retail hardware business for three generations, said wholesaler-driven price hikes are the biggest since the late 1970s.

But customers had not seen price increases for about a decade. Longtime customers remember buying, for example, spray paint for $1.99 about 20 years ago, when it's now $5.99.

The spray paint is only up $1 from last year, "but they remember $1.99 as if it was last year," St. Germaine said. "Some items haven't been increased, but everything seems more expensive to some customers.''

Lately, St. Germaine and Wells have been winning over converts who gave the store a second try, and they launched a targeted advertising campaign.

A somewhat promising increase in younger customers and growing interest in garden supplies and related classes have St. Germaine and Wells still looking forward. Institutional customers, such as nearby Augsburg University and Pillsbury United, which run growing urban-farming operations, also have increased their business.

St. Germaine and Wells bought Welna Hardware for $465,000. The total investment, including remodeling and adding the gardening business, is north of $750,000. The couple financed all of it largely with an Small Business Administration bank loan, plus a city-backed property loan targeted at local entrepreneurs of underrepresented groups.

"We thought we had bought a stable business," said St. Germaine, a member of the Turtle Mountain Ojibwe tribe who grew up in Minneapolis. "We've got a big debt load. We work days at Raven and nights and weekends at Jack's, 80-hour weeks. We're trying to work harder and smarter. We have a lot of loyal individual customers, just not enough."

Read more:
Minneapolis couple made a store their own but struggle to find footing with longtime customers - Star Tribune

CHICAGOAlerting occupants that the private residence would be undergoing maintenance and remodeling, local landlord Keith Witman informed his tenants Tuesday of upcoming improvements to his lake house. Im emailing to let you all know that over the coming months, I will be making extensive upgrades to my weekend home, wrote Witman, explaining that construction on his house in Lake Geneva, WI, which would be expanded to include a spa area and movie theater, should not cause any disruptions for tenants of the aging apartment building he owns in Chicago. While Ive been made aware of the burst pipe in your buildings basement, just know that I am currently working around the clock to fix the much smaller leak in my lake house before its slow drip causes a stain to form on the polished marble tiles of the guest room hot tub. The cost overruns of these vacation home updates will unfortunately require me to raise rents throughout your building by 35%. At press time, Witman also notified residents that the super would not be reachable for the next several months, as his full-time services were needed onsite at the lake house.

Link:
Landlord Informs Tenants Of Upcoming Improvements To His Lake House - The Onion

You can plant grass seed anytime during the growing season, but doing so in fall takes advantage of cooler temperatures and milder sun.

How many plants are in your yard? If you have a lawn, the answer is: Too many to count. The average quarter-acre lawn contains millions of grass plants.

Fortunately, these plants start easily from seed. Grass is one of the most common plants on the planet, and one of the easiest to germinate. Still, timing and technique are important. Read on to learn more about sowing grass seed in the fall.

Yes to both! Fall is best for starting lawns in the North, while spring is better in the South. However, fall is the time for overseeding Southern lawns with a cool-season grass variety so they stay green in winter. So fall seeding has its place in both regions.

That depends on where you live and what kind of grass youre growing. Cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, tall fescue, perennial ryegrass) thrive in the cooler temperatures of fall, while warm-season grasses (Bermudagrass, centipede grass, bahiagrass and zoysia grass) peak in late spring and early summer.

Those are optimum times for growth, and consequently the optimum times to sow grass seed for the respective cool- or warm-season grass. If sowing in fall, do it at least 45 days before your expected first frost date. That could be late September in Minnesota, or early November in Oklahoma.

Heres how to ensure your fall grass seed sprouts easily and effectively.

As with any garden bed, the time to improve the soil is before planting. Its especially important for compacted soils or those with primarily heavy clay.

Compacted soils should be loosened; you can do small patches with a spade fork or an entire bed with a tiller. If the soil is poor (say, impervious clay or sieve-like sand), spread a couple of inches of compost and mix it in. Compost helps clay soil drain better and sandy soil retain moisture and nutrients. Plus it adds nutrients and beneficial microbes.

Choose a seed mix suited to your climate and conditions. Many bagged grass seeds include more than one grass species, or a blend of more than one variety. This helps ensure resistance to environmental factors like drought or heavy foot traffic, and promotes genetic diversity.

To make it easier for the consumer, manufacturers label some grass seed mixes specifically for problem situations, such as shade or heavy traffic. These mixes contain the varieties best suited to the situation.

A popular mix might include Kentucky bluegrass, fine fescue and perennial ryegrass. Each brings something different to the table. Kentucky bluegrass forms a thick, lush carpet, fine fescue takes shade, and perennial ryegrass withstands heavy foot traffic, so together they make a formidable team. Moreover, quick-sprouting fine fescue gives protective cover to the slow-out-of-the-gate Kentucky bluegrass.

Once the soil is prepared, spread the grass seed. Small batches can be sown by hand, but a handheld spreader will distribute the seed more evenly. Larger areas can be done with a drop spreader, which deposits the seed beneath it, or a broadcast spreader, which fans the seed out in a circular motion.

Once youve spread the seed, use a garden rake to lightly work the seed no more than 1/4-inch into the soil. If sowing an entire lawn, consider renting a lawn roller, which will flatten the soil and ensure better seed-to-soil contact.

After that, mulch with straw or a biodegradable seed-starter made with paper, an adhering agent and seed-starting fertilizer. Mulch helps discourage bird browsing while keeping seeds moist for germination.

Although mulch helps prevent the sun from baking the seedbed, you still need to water. The key is to keep seeds (and later tender seedlings) moist but not soggy. A mulched bed needs daily watering in the morning. An unmulched bed needs two or three light waterings each day.

Grass seed germination takes from five days to three weeks, depending on the species. After grass seedlings begin to grow, you can taper off watering. Transition gradually, going from daily to every other day to every three or four days and finally to weekly.

If youre wondering if grass seed grows in the winter, the answer depends on where you live and the type of seed. Be sure to plant grass seed early enough to become established before the ground freezes. Grass can take a couple of months to become established, and an entire growing season to be ready for extended foot traffic. When seedlings are up about an inch, check to see if there are any bare spots that need to be re-seeded. You can begin mowing when new grass is about three inches tall a milestone that might not be met until spring.

More:
Tips for Planting Grass Seed in Fall | The Family Handyman

Now is the time to renovate hay fields and pastures.

Late summer and early fall are optimal times to evaluate hay fields and pastures to determine next steps and potential improvements.

A careful assessment will allow you to determine if a full burndown and reseeding is necessary or if some more basic remediation practices can be done to try and improve the field.

Extension agronomist Leanna Duppstadt explains forage seedings in Pennsylvania are most successful in mid-August to early September due to cool evenings and early fall rains that provide ideal conditions for our cool-season grasses.

Weather is an important planting consideration, as late summer can still be hot and dry, so in certain years planting may need pushed back to ensure adequate moisture, but never any later than six weeks before a killing frost.

A popular choice for fall planting of forages is a no-till drill. It can be used to overseed existing pastures and hay fields or do a full reseeding after a burndown application.

A full burndown has its pros and cons, so careful stand assessment is important. For more discussion on stand evaluation and determining whether to restore or renovate your fields, use the Penn State Extension resources on Seeding Perennial Foragesand Fall Management for Pastures.

Managing soil fertility is a key component of improving a pasture or hay field. Collecting a soil sample should always be the first step.

Knowing the fertility of the soil will allow you to make the necessary fertilizer applications before attempting to incorporate a new seeding or come through with any weed control.

Key point: If you are trying to improve your fields, you need to first understand why the improvement was necessary.

Yes, the field may be old and in need of a new seeding, but a majority of the time, the problem is fertility- or pH-related. Improving the fertility first will improve your chance of success.

In times of high prices (even outside of that, but especially then), adjusting soil pH and making lime applications can be the most effective and economical way to improve forage growth.

The biggest improvements will be seen when pH is well outside the preferred range for grass growth, which is around 6.5 to 7.

If a soil test shows a pH of 5.8 and another shows a pH of 6.1, you will see a greater overall improvement of the grasses when adding lime at the soil pH of 5.8 because the change is more dramatic.

Regardless, it is important to have the pH in the optimal range before seeding; otherwise poor germination could occur. Lime is also an excellent source of calcium and is the most economical way to make magnesium applications.

One ton of grass hay typically removes about 50 pounds of nitrogen, 15 to 20 pounds of phosphorus, and 45 to 60 pounds of potassium (potash). Fall is an excellent time to replace phosphorus and potassium.

For hay fields, manure makes an excellent fertilizer, except where legumes are present, and can be applied as a topdress before or after no-till seeding.

Potassium is directly related to winter survival and minimizing winter kill.

In pastures, it is important to understand that the continuous supply of manure from livestock will not be enough to feed the grasses. Additional fertilizer applications will need to be applied for optimal forage production.

Check out Extension's Soil Fertility resource for more information.

There are many factors that should go into selecting forages that will suit your needs, but thankfully many single species or species mixes will check multiple boxes.

Select species that are best adapted to your area, soil type, management practices and livestock species. Consider end use, intended markets, desired yields and forage quality.

Consult Extension's resources on selecting correct foragesand pasture species selectionfor more information.

Fall is when perennial forages are starting to store energy in their roots to overwinter. It is typically recommended to leave taller than average stubble or residue in the late summer and fall to ensure plants are able to store enough nutrients, survive winter, and have a jump start in the spring.

Overgrazing or mowing too short inhibits root systems, doesnt allow for proper carbohydrate storage, and increases plants susceptibility to stress.

Generally, a stubble height of 3 to 4 inches is recommended during any point in the season but especially in the fall, with 4 to 5 inches being more ideal.

This may mean pulling livestock off fields in the late summer (sometimes earlier than usual), feeding stored forages and allowing pasture forages to regrow, particularly in dry summers.

Consider the cost of heavily overgrazing the pasture and requiring a full reseeding in the spring compared to using stored forages.

Clipping or mowing before overseeding or a full burndown and planting a new seeding will help with weed control and allow increased light penetration, which will aid in the germination and growth of the new seedlings.

Be sure to mow weeds prior to them setting seed to avoid further spreading.

Chemical control of existing weeds prior to overseeding can be difficult because certain products have a 30-day planting restriction. Such products include 2,4-D and dicamba, which are the most common herbicides used for broadleaf weed control in grasses.

Glyphosate is usually used for burndown because it is nonselective, highly effective, and amenable to reseeding immediately after application.

For more information on fall weed control, check out Extension's resource on the matter.

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What to Consider When Renovating Pastures in Late Summer and Early Fall - Lancaster Farming