Whether you are remaking an old lawn or beginning a new one, if you live in the Midwest, fall is the prime time to work on your lawn care. Beautiful lawns don’t miraculously appear in the spring and look terrific all summer without some preparation beforehand. How much or how little you do will show in the spring and especially summer when your lawn has to deal with the summer heat.

Because of the climate in your area, there are 7 important reasons to focus on your fall activities:

1. Bluegrass grows well in cooler seasons, most weeds don’t. Weed threat lessens instead of increasing.
2. Soils are more easily and safely tilled than in spring when the soil is soggy.
3. Shorter days, cooling temperatures, make watering and seedling care easier.
4. Bright sunny days encourage seed sprout, while crisp nights avoid grass debilitation.
5. Bluegrass will have a head start and be established by spring. Now your grass will be better able to withstand the heat, drought and weeds.
6. Autumn rains are usually gentle and saturate the soil.
7. With the end of the growing season, you have more time to focus on your needs.

In lawn care, the basics generally stay the same with the end result being a beautiful lawn in the spring. Again, there are preparatory steps you need to take in order to get your lawn to that level. Listed below are some basics steps which seem to have stayed constant time. Why? They obviously work.

1. Till the soil to at least three or four-inch depth, adding fertilizer.
2. Rake or drag level, rolling only if “fluffy,” breaking clods but not pulverizing to dust.
3. Sow quality seed of reliable brand, compounded mostly or entirely of the basic grasses.
4. Mulch if possible.
5. Soak slowly to avoid surface run-off (await a soaking rain if you wish; dry soil will not harm unsprouted seed. 6. Once soaked, keep surface moist by frequent, light spray. Sprouting can occur in as little as a week if moisture is constant.
7. As seedlings grow, reduce frequency of watering but keep deeper soil moist.
8. Mow when grass is two or three inches tall. A light feeding to month-old grass might prove helpful.

Don’t be alarmed if your autumn seedlings look thin since this is the season for low, tight growth. Just remember the seedlings are preparing for the gorgeous growth spurt in the spring.

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