Creating A Beautiful Lawn In Richmond, Virginia
If you want to create a beautiful lawn here in Virginia, timing is everything. We have four very distinct season, which makes lawn care a challenge. If your lawn is looking a bit shabby, is full of weeds or has a few brown areas or dead spots, maybe its time for a little TLC! Fall is the best time of year to plant a new lawn in Virginia, but you have to start preparing your lawn in August to have success.
Soil Testing
The first step in growing new grass is figuring out the soil content of your yard. Pull 10 plugs of dirt about 3-6 inches deep from different areas of your lawn and drop them off at Southern States for nutrient and pH testing or have your lawn care provider handle your testing. Testing is important, because your lawn may be lacking certain nutrients that might make growing new grass a challenge.
August Is the Month for Killing Weeds In Virginia
If you’re planning on growing new grass this fall, it’s crucial that you get rid of all the weeds in your lawn. They will plague you year after year and make growing new grass a almost impossible. August is the best month to kill weeds in your lawn, because it is hot and most weeds are at their prime. Killing weeds in August gives enough time for the weeds to die before fresh grass seed goes down. Planting new grass in a yard full of weeds is never going to give you the results you want, but it’s important to plan this step long before you actually plant new grass.
Plant New Grass in September
Once all the weeds have died out and September rolls around, it’s time to plant fresh grass seed. Some of the most popular grass varieties here in Richmond, Virginia are Kentucky bent grass, fescues and Bermuda, but the specific grass planted in your yard should depend on shade, irrigation, soil and other factors. Many swear by grass seed mixtures that help ensure you’ll have green grass all year long and all throughout the yard.
Always use Certified Seed with a low weed content. Brand name grass seed labels are worth paying a little extra to ensure you get the beautiful lawn you want. We recommend consulting with a professional about the specific grass to use in your yard before getting started.
Aerate and Fertilizer for the Best Results
Throwing grass seed down into a barren patch of earth isn’t going to give you the results you want. We recommend aerating the entire yard when you plant grass seed, or hire a professional to handle all of these steps. Air entering the soil helps the existing grass root system and provides a better base of loose soil for new seeds to get started.
For a beautiful lawn next spring here in Richmond, VA, test your soil and kill weeds this August. Wait and aerate, plant and fertilize in September, and make sure the new seeds get plenty of water. Fall is a great time for growing grass in Virginia, because we get lots of water and the temperatures are usually just right. Contact us with the form below if you’d like to learn more about beautifying your Richmond, Virginia Lawn or have other lawn care needs.
