Did you know that according to the national weather service office in St. Louis, we had the 4th hottest summer in history? No wonder we all had so many weeds this year! Our “good grass” was stressed and thinned out and the bad grass aka “the weeds” came in!


An old friend of mine that passed about two decades ago told me that the best time to plant grass seed was Labor Day weekend. My recommendation to improve your lawn to a thick, green, and healthy state is as follows…


First, in early September, core aerate and over-seed your lawn. Perform this a few days after a rain to help penetrate the ground deeper. Apply a good fertilizer to help your current turf and new seedlings get a kick start. Water your lawn at least 1” of water a week until the new seedlings attain a height of 3”. Also remember to cut your lawn at a 3” or taller cutting height. Keeping most of the leaves off your lawn this Fall will also help to ensure proper sunlight for your new seedlings. Lastly, apply a winterizer fertilizer in November/December.


This year has been terrible for nutsedge and crabgrass as well. The wet Spring followed by the dry Summer has allowed these two weeds to thrive. Apply 1 application of crabgrass preventer in the early Spring and approximately 8-10 weeks later another. This will give extended control of crabgrass and other weeds.