If you thought shrieking ghouls, pale-faced guests from Transylvania and the looming fate of candy-induced hangovers posed the biggest threat to your happiness this fall, you’d be wrong. Below you will find answers to four eerily inaccurate myths that will keep you from certain doom this fall season.
Myth 1: Springtime Applications are the Most Important Time for Dandelion Control
Sometimes your worst nightmares aren’t out in front of you. They lurk under your bed, cackle in your closest, or in this case, bide their time underground. Tony Goldsby, national turf products manager for Ewing Irrigation, explains why fall serves as a prime time to go after dandelions.
“The best overall timing to get control of dandelions is in the fall,” he said. During spring the plants’ energy is going toward the bloom, so the effectiveness of the herbicide may dwindle. During fall, the plants’ energy is directed toward the roots. It transports the herbicide to the roots, killing the plant. For this reason, fall application is generally a better option for long-term management.
Myth 2: My Lawn Looks Dead. I Should Wait to Treat It Until Spring.
It’s not as it seems. We’re talking about your lawn, not the five-year-old next door sporting an angel costume. Your lawn may look like it’s toast for the year, but for cool season grasses, fall presents an excellent opportunity to reseed. “In cool season markets, you are going to want to bolster your current grass,” Goldsby said. The grass will be weak after enduring summer’s heat, but grasses such as Ewing’s King Tall Fescue will greatly benefit from some reseeding.
Myth 3: High Potassium Fertilizer is the Best Fall Fertilizer
Every year, most people encounter trick-or-treaters who either request predominately chocolate morsels, or give a boisterous plea for fruity flavors only. What these misguided children don’t understand, is that a little bit of everything makes for a well balanced, sugar crash guaranteed diet. When it comes to your lawn, a well-balanced fertilizer is your best option for sustaining its nutritional needs.
“Headed into winter, you want your turf grass plant to have adequate amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium (NPK),” Goldsby said. “In order to achieve that, you will want to provide an application of one pound of nitrogen per 1,000 sq. ft. with a well balanced NPK souce.”
Myth 4: You Can Reverse/Cure Rhizoctonia Large Patch
Everyone knows there is no cure for the living dead. When it comes to a highly contagious, life-threatening, cosmetic altering virus, prevention beats treatment — no contest. Consider applying a similar principle to warm season climate grasses (bermuda and zoysia), which are susceptible to Rhizoctonia Large Patch.
People are often told that preventative applications aren’t necessary for this disease. “If you have an area that this disease shows up in year after year, you need to have it on a preventative fungicide program,” Goldsby said. You will be far better off administering a preventative to your lawn than trying to contain a disease and regrow dead patches next season.
Take the Fear Out of Fall
Don’t be the first victim. Become a self appointed myth-buster and run to your nearest Ewing store to find the products that will help you succeed in your fall landscape endeavors. Your turf will thank you.
