Try these five tips to protect and grow your home turf – Toronto Star

Growing a great lawn should be like rolling down a hill a deep green, grassy hill. It should be easy.

Many of us have turned our attention to the grass growing under our feet. Chances are, it has not been growing much until recently. Our long, hot and dry summer was not exactly grass-growing friendly.

And, once again, we come to the rescue with some good news: The best lawn-growing weather of the season is now.

Even if it is dry where you live, there are some things that are consistent every September. Days get shorter, nighttime dew is heavy and generally our evenings are cooler than they were just a month ago.

We grow great grass in many parts of Canada because we can. The sod-growing industry is a massive business the provincial agriculture ministry says more than 4,000 hectares of sod are grown in Ontario alone each year.

Thickening an established lawn or starting a new one is much easier now than in spring.

Let us help you get started with these five tips:

1. Thickening an established lawn: If weeds dominate your grass, or brown areas have occurred during the summer drought, or bare patches appear for whatever reason (if you have a dog or dog visitors, you know what we mean) start by spreading a six to eight centimetres of lawn soil or triple mix over the area. Rake it smooth.

Spread quality lawn seed at the rate of one kilogram over 100 square metres (about two pounds/1,000 square feet). Rake it smooth again. Then step on it or use a lawn roller, one-third full of water, to firm the seed and soil together. Water thoroughly.

2. Starting a new lawn: Follow the same advice, above, but be sure that the area is weed-free before you sow the new seed. Double the seed rate.

3. Sodding: Len Cullen Marks dad and Bens grandpa said you could lay sod upside down in September and it would still grow. He said it after a young Mark protested his role on a sod-laying crew by turning his lengths grass-side down. Those strips, indeed, grew grass. But we dont recommend you try it.

Sod costs much more per square metre than seed. But it is an instant solution to achieve good grass, and this time of year it puts down roots in a hurry.

Lay sod on a bed of quality triple mix or lawn soil that is at least eight to 10 cm thick. The thicker the good soil, the better-quality grass you will grow over the long haul.

4. Fertilizing: It drives us crazy to see fall lawn food featured for sale this time of year. Retailers are responding to consumer demand for the product in September. And while we are all for the service mantra of the customer is always right, they are wrong are fertilizing grass this time of year.

The best time of the year to fertilize your lawn is in late autumn, like October or early November a couple of weeks before the snow flies. The reason for this late application of lawn food is to build up the natural sugars in the roots of the grass plants, boosting grass plant nutrients in preparation for the long winter ahead.

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Yes, winter is coming. But not for three or four months, so do not get your woolly socks out just yet. Nor your lawn fertilizer.

5. Cutting: Your lawn responds best to being cut at seven to nine cm high (2-1/2 to three inches). The higher the better, as the longer the grass blades, the deeper the roots. And the deeper the roots, the more tolerant your lawn is of drought, overwatering snow mould and disease.

Use a mulching mower if you can. Returning the grass blades to the root zone of grass plants is what Mother Nature intended.

Speaking of Mother Nature, therein is the point of the whole thing. We do not control the weather or the changing of the seasons. Nature provides all kinds of cues for us to do various jobs around the garden and right now, all the signs point to your lawn (and dividing hostas well share those details with you in an upcoming column).

And, along with our tips, the best advice we can give you to help grow a good lawn is to follow natures lead.

Mark and Ben Cullen are expert gardeners and contributors for the Star. Follow Mark on Twitter: @MarkCullen4

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Try these five tips to protect and grow your home turf - Toronto Star