Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Agreeable Weather for Fall Planting


High pressure will be the primary weather influence over the Mid-Atlantic through the remainder of the week, and likely into the first part of next week as well. With cool nights and mild afternoons, now is a great time to start Fall planting and over seeding lawns. According to most horticulturists, temperatures in the range of 60-85 degrees is ideal for the germination of cool-season grass seed. Fall and Spring both have these temperature ranges, but Fall is generally preferred because the ground is warmer and there is less weed competition. The temperatures over the next 7 to 10 days will be a few degrees cooler than the 60-85 range, but this September has yet to provide us with a stretch of consistently benign temperatures. It looks like the time is now. Mother Nature won't be helping us out with rainfall anytime soon, so be sure to keep new plants and grass lightly watered until the roots become established.

Zach