• How soon can we cut our lawns after they’re sprayed? Immediately.
• How about seeding? 30 days
• What do we do with those beautiful leaves that fall in our lawns? Mulch them into your turf. Think celery please.
• And lastly, a short talk about moles (see the Wisdom writing). There is some good new news, but in short, you still need to call me to help pick a professional.

No Waiting Line: Go Ahead and Mow

I want to thank Mark Guttman, a client for more years than either of us will admit, for this question: “After you make an application, how soon can I mow the lawn?”

I don’t spray the grass plant; I spray the soil the grass plant is growing in. I feed at least 4 gallons of stew to each 1000 square feet of soil, so a small lawn will get 12 to 20 gallons. The grass plant itself gets in the way of the spray, but what little sticks doesn’t matter. Plus, you’re not bagging, you’re mulching as we’ve taught you, so the overspray ends up in the soil anyway.

But for Seeding? Wait 30 Days . . .

I also want to thank Rosana Sikora for her first question: “How soon after an application of weed control can we seed?” Then her second question: “How late in the year can I seed with success?”

Seeding after an herbicide is a complicated question because we need to know the type used. The only always-right answer is 30 days after application because that’s the longest on any of the normal products we use.

It's good to ask, though, because we can use products that allow seeding within days, or even at the time of application. Neither is the norm, however.

. . . Up to October 10

I have watched the results of fall seeding for some 43 years, and seldom does it work if you seed after the 10th of October. There are rumors seeding works in December if the ground is frozen, but I don’t think they apply in Morgantown. We lack the constant snow cover on the ground that can protect the seeds from the ravages of winter.

It sucks to think about winter right now. The weather is just too nice.

When It Comes to Leaves, Mulch Please

Please refer to last year’s newsletter for a longer discussion on leaves (October 2019). For those of you who want a quick short-answer: Mulch them in.

Please think celery. We need to eat our celery. Or lawns need their feeding of leaves. Neither of us needs the peanut butter. Fortunately, our lawns are satisfied with “celery” only, unlike many of us.

I have to say, though, it's silly to get excited about leaves right now because you’re one puff of wind away from having all your neighbors’ leaves in your lawn. No rush to do anything. Enjoy the beauty instead.

New This Year: Mole Repellent

I was talking to my favorite applicator this month, and he has a new granular repellent for moles. I will be meeting with him to discuss this soon. I have also asked him to write a section for us to go in next month’s newsletter, so more to come.

See You Soon

I’m working on contracts for next year, and there are lots of exciting changes. The goal is to get them out the first of December. Lots to do between now and then.

See you soon in your lawn!