Edwina von Gal’s RADICLE Thinking

Fall is the time for seeding, feeding, and aerating your lawn. Weeds grow in warm weather, grass prefers cool…that means the best time to fix the lawn is… fall, right now.

If there are bare areas in your lawn, reseed now, the grass can fill in and weeds will have no place to grow in the spring! But, don't over seed! Over seeding is the process of spreading seed over an existing lawn to fill in bare patches. How much seed to apply? Depends on the type of seed you are using. Look on the package for recommended rates.
Over seeding occurs when too much seed is applied over a given area. Why isn't more better? Too many grass plants growing too close together leads to over competition and die-off. In humid conditions, it can also cause mold and other fungus diseases like in the picture above. Gross.

For areas that are always a problem, look for the cause.
If compacted: break up or aerate the soil.
Replace or amend poor soil with organic, weed free compost or new soil.

Too much shade? Try a shade tolerant grass or consider a Long Island native ground cover like Pennsylvania sedge and mow it just once a year.