Feed the Soil and Seed the Lawn at Back to School Time!
September 2015
 

Fall is the best time to plant grass seed for a beautiful, healthy lawn. Fall lawn seeding is ideal because of warm days and cooler nights, warm soil temperature and less weed competition.
Feed the Soil

hands holding soil
The key to a successful lawn is healthy soil.  If you have poor soil you will have a poor lawn.  The two biggest issues with the soil are soil pH and compaction.  The optimum soil pH to grow grass is 6.0 to 6.8.  Take a soil test this fall if you have not done one recently.  If your pH is too low, use
Mag-I-Cal Calcium Fertilizer to help raise the pH.  Mag-I-Cal will also help to release trapped nutrients in the soil.  The other problem is compaction.  Hard packed soil will prevent grass roots from growing deeply and establishing a strong root system.  Use  Love Your Lawn-Love Your
Soil to develop healthy soil by feeding the microbes and earthworms in the soil. You may use both of these products the same day you seed. 


Seed the Lawn

Pick the proper seed for the growing conditions of your lawn.
Black Beauty Ultra Black Beauty   and  Fall Magic are just some of the premium grass seed mixtures you have to choose from.  Drought tolerance, improved disease resistance and dark-green color have been bred into our turfgrass. Also, many of these grasses contain beneficial endophytes, so they are naturally resistant to insect damage.
Properly prepare the area by loosening the soil to create good seed to soil contact. In the case of larger areas, the use of a rented, motorized, thatching machine can be helpful in the establishment of a seed bed. While raking, remove dead grass, stones, sticks, etc. from the lawn area.
Apply New Seeding Fertilizer , then the seed. Use a spreader for even coverage.  Rake a little soil on top of the seed but do not bury the seed more than a quarter of an inch below the surface. Do not apply straw or hay to the newly seeded area as it can contain weed seeds.
The seed bed should be kept moist for a few weeks while the grass seed germinates, until the lawn needs mowing.  Water lightly (5-10 minutes) 2 to 3 times per day. If it's windy and/or still warm, it will dry out more quickly. If the seed dries out, it will not germinate. If newly-germinated seedlings don't get water, they will die quickly. After mowing, you may return to a normal watering schedule.
Seed should begin to germinate in about 10- 14 days. All of the seed will not germinate at once.
Once the lawn is established, it is important to water your lawn deeply each time you irrigate. This means watering for at least 30 to 45 minutes in each area of the lawn which gets full sun and 10 to 20 minutes in areas of partial to deep shade. 

Want more information on fall seeding? Check out this helpful video!

Fall Seeding
Fall Seeding




Show Us Your Lawn!

Winner for the month of August 2015
Time is running out for you to enter a photo of your lawn in our contest!  Upload a picture of your lawn for a chance to win each month from now until October.  One monthly winner will be chosen and will receive a $50 gift coupon to use at their local Jonathan Green retail store.  This gift coupon can be used on anything in that store.  

At the end of the year one grand prize winner will receive a $500 gift coupon and a New American Lawn product kit! 
For more information and to enter today please visit   newamericanlawn.com    and upload your photo.  Good luck!



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Sincerely,    
 
Jonathan Green
Seedsmen

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