Late Summer Lawn Care

Knowing when to fertilize, water, mow, and deal with weeds and pests depends on where you live. In Massachusetts (and throughout the northeast), lawn care and maintenance in late August–September should focus on:

•Dethatching and aerating with a core aerator. The ground should be good and soft for aerating to break up any areas where soil may be getting compacted from heavy summer foot traffic. Now that your turf has bore the brunt of summer activity (think cookouts, frisbee games, excessive sun and stifling heat), it's a good idea to remove thatch that may have built up and aerate compacted areas of your grass. 

•Fertilizing and seeding. Apply a slow-release, organic fertilizer to the outer edges of your lawn, followed by the middle. Because you're feeding nutrients to your grass via fertilizer at a time of rapid growth, you may have to mow more frequently afterward. This is also a good time to overseed your lawn. 

•Spreading weed-and-feed over your entire lawn or spot-spraying weeds. Weed-and-feed products combine fertilizer and herbicides to do two jobs at once. You may run the risk of over fertilizing if you use excessive weed-and-feed and fertilize your entire lawn as well. If you have only a few weeds, try pulling them or spot spraying with an herbicide or lime juice and vinegar.