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The fall is the perfect time to bolster your lawn to ensure it comes back stronger and fuller next season. Images courtesy of Jupiter Unlimited

East Hampton - As the days shorten and the air cools, many are already thinking about next summer, leaving for warmer climates or packing away the lawn furniture. Though the focus may be turning away from the backyard, the fall is the perfect time to bolster your lawn for an even stronger return next spring.

Lawn care professionals suggest raking out dead spots and applying a layer of fertilizer and seed to strengthen the topsoil.

"It's the perfect time of year for turf maintenance, from now to the end of October," according to Charlie Whitmore of Charlie Whitmore Gardens in Amagansett, "This is really turf grass heaven from now to Thanksgiving." The best growing seasons for grass are the spring and fall, as weeds grow best in the hot summer months and most of the problematic insects have gone through their life cycles.

Reinforcing your lawn now will produce a deeper, thicker root system leading into the spring growing season, making it more difficult for weeds. "If you wait to reseed, by the spring it gets too hot too fast and the weeds germinate first," Frederico Azevedo, founder of Unlimited Earth Care in Bridgehampton, explained, "Then you get more weeds than grass."

Lawn care experts suggest raking out any dead spots with an iron rake, applying a thin layer of fertilizer and then a layer of seed. "The manual work is the best work to do," Azevedo contended, "People who didn't have a good lawn this summer should take out all the weeds by October," then use a peat moss or compost with a high nitrogen count. The "autumn feeding," as Whitmore called it, bolsters the lawn and gives it a "soil conditioning," adding biotics to the topsoil.

Whitmore cautioned against using harsh chemical fertilizers as it can be a "more traumatic event" for the grass. Organic fertilizers degrade on a timed release, preventing the nitrogen from burning the turf grass. "If you're organic, then by all means continue," Whitmore advocated, adding that he promotes the use of natural fertilizers whenever possible.

Finding the right fertilizer is important, according to Barbara Frerichs of Lion Landscaping in Sag Harbor, as different geographic locations and different times of year require different nutrients. "Go into a home center and ask what needs to be done," Frerichs suggested, "They will know their area." Whitmore agreed, adding that do-it-yourselfers should be sure to "read all the bags really carefully" before applying, and between the experts at the garden center and the internet "nowadays there's no excuse for not getting your questions answered."

Hydrangeas can be difficult to prune, so Frerichs suggests getting the advice of an expert.

Most homeowners should be able to do the bulk of their fall lawn care themselves, though both Frerichs and Whitmore employ an overseeding technique, where the seeds are planted into the ground, which requires a seeding machine and should be done by a professional. Overseeding isn't necessary, just the most effective method out there right now.

For the do-it-yourselfer, Lion Landscaping provides a landscaping calendar (www.LandscapingCalendar.com), with lawn care education and tips for every region and season. Right now in the Hamptons, Frerichs recommends "roughing up the lawn" with a thatcher and trimming back perennial plants. Frerichs preached caution when trimming hydrangeas, however. "Everybody out here is wild about their hydrangeas, it's such a Hamptons look, but trimming them back is an art," she asserted, and while the homeowner can do it themselves, they should seek the advise of someone knowledgeable. This past spring "we saw a lot of damage from snow sitting too long," she stated, "So a good layer of compost is always a good idea."

Preparing the soil in your garden for the winter is important, but homeowners also "have to protect the plants from deer," Frerichs advised, "This year the deer were eating more things than we've ever seen before in terms of variety. You need to continue to protect your plants," as the deer continue to feed aggressively as winter approaches, "that's probably the key thing."

"People tend to think that after Labor Day they can ignore the lawn," Frerichs commented, "They need to make sure they feed them and keep them cut." And whether you're the type to spend the weekend in the yard or more likely to hire someone else, as Whitmore put it, "If you're thinking of next summer start now."