This post has been sponsored by Scotts®. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Fall is my favorite time of year, and it’s not just because of the fun decorating I get to do. I love the drop in temperature, cool crisp nights, fall treats and spending evenings outside with my loves. Because of how hot Northern California gets, I’m not the only one who looks forward to fall. Our lawn and pastures do well with the cooler days, so it’s the perfect time to do some fall lawn care. Fall is the time to feed & seed! Visit to find your favorite Scotts® products! I’m going to share some tips for greener pastures and how Scotts can help!
Before I married my husband, all I knew about was suburban living and small yards. I’ve always taken pride in how my yard and home look, so a healthy green lawn is important to me—regardless of the size. My husband grew up on 5 acres, with his grandparents owning 100 acres. He knows all about country living and raising cows. Our family regularly has three cows that live on 5 acres of land, and it’s been interesting to see the process of immunizing them, feeding them and of course, them feeding us.
With acreage, getting enough water into the fields and pastures can be a challenge so summers are pretty dry. With everything dead from the hot summer months, we want to refresh the pasture as a way to feed our livestock. Making sure we have quality products is very important to running a successful farm and business. That’s where Scotts and my tips for fall lawn care come in.
Water
Don’t assume cooler days are all you need to get your lawn or pasture looking healthy. It takes water. If you’re not getting tons of rain, then it’s important to keep watering during the fall. It’s more beneficial to get a deep soak than to water several times for short periods of time. You’ll want to make sure the water penetrates the roots and grass by about 4-6″ deep. Start out with 30 minutes of watering and test an area to see if that was enough to penetrate the soil deep enough. Then, adjust your time accordingly.
Mow
Continue to mow during the fall, but don’t cut the grass too short. If your pasture or lawn is completely dead, it’s okay because you can plant new Scotts grass seed right over the dead but not before you dethatch the old. If you have livestock (or goats, especially), then they’ll likely do the mowing for you!
Dethatch and/or Aerate
Get a special dethatching blade that attaches to your lawnmower and dethatch your entire lawn. This will pull out any of the dry top layer, which is important before getting your lawn healthy again.
Overseed
Here’s where I get excited. Parts of my lawn are doing just fine, but other sections died from the dry, hot weather. I suspect I have different types of grass throughout my yard, and some was heartier than others during periods of more drought. I always dreaded having to rip out my entire lawn and needing to plant from scratch until I learned you can overseed. Overseeding with Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix® is what I’ll be doing in the coming weeks as it cools off. When overseeding, use Scotts® Turf Builder® EdgeGuard® DLX Broadcast Spreader and put down twice as much seed as if you were starting from scratch. The Broadcast Spreader will ensure the seed doesn’t clump, and you can overlap your rows to ensure there aren’t any gaps or holes.
The Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed Sun & Shade Mix® is also perfect for acreage with varied terrain because it grows in extreme conditions, including full sun and dense shade. My in-laws have large trees that provide a lot of shade in some areas and other areas that don’t receive any shade at all. The Sun & Shade Mix is also great for a quick grow for greener pastures and happy cows. It aggressively spreads and thickens for a durable lawn that everyone is sure to love.
Fertilize
Most people fertilize their lawns in the spring without thinking of fall lawn care. Fall happens to be the most important time to take care of the lawn because what you do in the fall prepares the lawn for spring. It’s crucial to properly seed and feed the lawn during fall months because even if it’s dormant in the winter, it is still benefiting from whatever nutrients you gave it during the fall. Pick up a bag of Scotts® Turf Builder® WinterGuard® Fall Lawn Food and you’ll be on your way to strong, deep roots for a better lawn next spring. This Fall Lawn Food works for any type of grass and can cover 15,000 square feet with the Scotts® Turf Builder® EdgeGuard® DLX Broadcast Spreader. This particular fertilizer will help to repair your lawn or pasture from heat damage and prepare it to absorb water better.
A healthy lawn is a happy lawn, and that is something that makes us and the cows happy! Don’t forget, you can pick up all of the needed
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