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The RepairSep 2026 to Nov 2026
Aerate, overseed, and feed. This is the season that fixes the lawn.
Mow down to about 2 inches and bag the clippings. Run the core aerator in two passes at right angles so the whole lawn is covered. Leave the plugs on the surface, they break down within a couple of weeks.
Spread seed right after aerating, while the holes are open. Use the handheld spreader on a low setting and make two passes at right angles. Seed to soil contact is everything, so rake lightly if any seed is sitting on top of thatch.
Apply the Scotts Starter Food Plus Weed Preventer the same day as the seed. The mesotrione in it stops weed seeds without hurting the new fescue. Do not use a regular crabgrass preventer here, it will block your grass seed too.
Two or three short waterings a day for the first two weeks, then once a day for the third week. The top half inch must never dry out until the seedlings are up. Back off gradually to deep, infrequent watering once the new grass has been mowed twice.
About four weeks after seeding, once the new grass has been mowed at least once. Spread evenly with the handheld spreader and water it in.
The most important feeding of the year for cool season grass. Apply after top growth has slowed but before the ground freezes. The roots keep taking it up and the lawn greens up faster in spring.
Off SeasonDec 2026 to Feb 2027
Nothing to apply. Maintain equipment and stay off frozen turf.
A dull blade tears grass and leaves brown tips. Sharpen or replace the blade now so the mower is ready for the first cut in April.
PreventionMar 2027 to May 2027
Pre-emergent before crabgrass germinates, then a light feed.
Crabgrass germinates when soil temperature holds around 55F for a few days. In Boardman that is usually the first half of April, when the forsythia blooms. Apply prodiamine before then and water it in with half an inch of water. Check the soil thermometer at 2 inches deep in the morning. TODO: live soil temperature feed not built yet, use the soil thermometer.
A light feed only. Too much spring nitrogen pushes top growth at the expense of roots and sets the lawn up to struggle in July.
The split application extends crabgrass control through the summer. Apply the second half about 8 weeks after the first, water it in.
Mix Triad Select in the pump sprayer and spot treat dandelions, clover, and plantain on a calm day below 85F. Do not spray the whole lawn, and do not spray within a few weeks of seeding.
Summer HoldJun 2027 to Aug 2027
Mow high, water deep, do not push growth with nitrogen.
Optional. If you had grub damage or see lots of June beetles, apply GrubEx and water it in. Skip it if the lawn has never had grub trouble.
Tall grass shades the soil, keeps roots cooler, and crowds out crabgrass. Water deeply once or twice a week in the early morning, about an inch total. No fertilizer until September.
If crabgrass breaks through, spot treat with Tenacity while the plants are small. Expect it to turn white for a couple of weeks. Do not apply in extreme heat.
Steady StateSep 2027 to Nov 2027
Year two. Assess, feed, and repeat what worked.
Walk the lawn. If there are still thin or bare spots, aerate and overseed again like last year. If the stand is thick, skip seeding and apply a fall preemergent instead. You cannot do both, the preemergent blocks the seed.
Same as last October. Flagship or Milorganite, watered in.
Same as last November. Urea or winterizer after growth slows.
Aerate again if the soil is compacted or you are overseeding. Otherwise it can wait a year.