Not surprisingly, Iowa gave us its famous second summer after a brief fake fall. With October now here, we’re hopeful that cooler, crisp Midwest fall weather is finally here to stay.
The late heat, combined with less rain, introduced some stress to lawns and reignited disease activity. If you haven’t yet scheduled an aeration, now is the time — nothing benefits your lawn more. We still have spots available! Call 319.354.3108 to schedule.
Lawn health care update
We’re wrapping up late-summer applications and moving into fall treatments. This round focuses on controlling broadleaf weeds and other tough varieties like violet and creeping charlie. Aerations are ongoing and will continue for several weeks.
Grubs
Our new grub preventive has worked extremely well — very little active grub pressure this year.
Remember: mole activity doesn’t always mean grubs. Other issues, like localized dry spots or disease, are often mistaken for grub damage.
Disease
The recent humidity has reactivated some diseases. Helpful cultural practices to help reduce turf damage include:
- Keeping mower blades sharp
- Mowing above 3.5 inches
- Avoiding night watering
- Scheduling aeration
We’re also entering rust season. Lawns may take on a rusty tint, and shoes or pet paws might turn orange. Rust occurs when plants slow shoot growth and shift energy to root repair before winter. While unsightly, it causes no harm to the turfgrass.
bugs
As temperatures cool, insects look for warm shelter inside homes and businesses. Our perimeter pest control program is an effective defense against boxelder bugs and other fall invaders.
seeding
The window for seeding is closing quickly. The next two weeks are still suitable, as soil temps remain warm and frost is not yet a concern. We recommend getting seed down before October ends so it can germinate and establish before winter.
questions, comments, or concerns? don’t hesitate to reach out to our team.
A Moment of thanks
Thank you for trusting us to care for your property. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out with questions — we’re here to help.
Here’s to a healthy lawn and a beautiful fall season!
