A video featuring Cale Bigelow, a turf grass scientist and professor in the Horticulture and Landscape Architecture Department at Purdue University, has been uploaded to the AP Video Hub.
In the video, he talks about best practices for lawn care and what people can do to prepare for the fall season. This video can be found at https://bit.ly/3AfJ5Av. All videos in the Campus Insights series are free for download and use by all AP members and can be found at apvideohub.ap.org or by doing a general search on the Associated Press site.
Bigelow says selecting the correct grass species is important for a successful lawn. If a lawn has sustained damage during the summer, adding seed back into thin areas and dry patches can help.
Bigelow recommends using turf-type tall fescue grass seed for cool-season lawns. He says this type of grass is highly durable and drought resistant, perfect for preparing a lawn for next summer.
When planting new grass, Bigelow says seed-to-soil contact is important. He recommends gently raking the surface of the lawn to expose the soil to ensure the seed takes root. Bigelow says feeding lawns two to three times from late August to early November will help prepare them for extreme weather in the future.
He says composting fallen leaves in certain lawns can also be a beneficial practice.
Categories: Indiana, Weather