A well groomed lawn adds that finishing touch to a great landscape setting for any home. But like most things it doesn't come without hard work. Now is the time to do some checking of the lawn and start making improvements.

There is still time to interseed some of those bare spots. Choose species which are already in your lawn. For instance, you wouldn't want to add a warm season grass like Zoysia to a great stand of cool season creeping fescue. They don't match. Rake the area to be seeded; this stirs up the soil's crust. Then overseed with the seed of choice and roll it in for good seed to soil contact.

Now is also the time to do a complete renovation. I suggest you use a chemical like glyphosate and then if the surface is level you can overseed with a no-till slit seeder. This allows you to replant into cover and reseed with the seed of choice.

Fall is the time to start your cool season grasses. Warm temperatures in April are right for the warm season species.

Fall seeding requires some irrigation for good seed germination. So if you aren't getting the rain, pull out the hose and give the lawn a good inch once a week. Fall seeding sometimes will compete with weeds, but frost will usually remove most weed problems. If you must apply herbicide, make sure you read and follow label recommendations. Herbicides should be applied on a cool day. You should also read the label to make sure the weed you want to control is on the herbicide label. You can't control dandelion if you are using a crab grass killer. Some of these products are sold in combination with fertilizer.

Fertilizer should be a complete fertilizer like 10-10-10 or 6-24-24 applied at the rate of 15 to 20 lbs. Per 1,000 square feet. If you need lime, apply rates according to a soil test.

Continue to monitor the new seeding through frost. This means you also need to keep leaves raked off. It is okay to continue to mow, just be sure you raise the mower height to 3 to 4". This allows your new seeded area to grow and develop a better root structure going into winter. Check mower height on a level sidewalk or driveway and then adjust the cutting height up or down. You should never remove more than on-third of the grass plant at one mowing.

Lawn care requires giving your lawn extra attention. Watching, watering, fertilizing, and mowing together in a timely manner will yield beautiful green mats of grass for your toes to enjoy. For more information on lawn care, call 687-1727.