ASS (NAPSA)—If summer weather extremes have been at the root of your lawn and yard problems, take heart. Yard Doctor Trey Rogers, Ph.D., offers some emer- gency help for troubled areas and tips on what you can do right now to have a better yard next year. “There’s always something you can do to make your lawn and yard look a little better,” says Rogers, an internationally renowned turf scientist who is the Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor. Here’s what to do now: First aid for a battered lawn—By late summeror early fall, your grass may be worn down from foot traffic. When you fertilize, give these areas one extra pass with the spreader to help the grass recover. * Need green in a hurry?— Hosting a family gathering or open house? Apply a light dose of urea (pure nitrogen fertilizer) and water it in for near-instant green in twoto three days. It will last a couple of weeks. Prepare for the weed war—Those most hated of weeds —perennials like dandelions and creeping Charlie—should be tackled in early fall for a better lawn next spring. They are germinating now and are easier to kill. Use a broadleaf weed killer. Raise your mower blade— Give your lawn a breakby letting it grow just a little longer. Whenever you mow, never cut more than one-third the height of the grass blade to help your lawn stay healthy. e A great time to seed— Whetheryou are seeding an entire Lawn-Healthy Idea—Rakeoff any dead grass, loosen the soil and add a starter fertilizer before you seed. lawn or fixing dead patches, late summer and fall are great times to do it. Rake off any dead grass, loosen the soil and add a starter fertilizer before you seed or add sod. Keep the area moist until the seeds sprout and the sod sets roots. Plant trees and shrubs— Fall is a good time to add landscape elements, and you will find many of them on sale. Water trees and shrubs thoroughly and continue to water until the first frost. To learn more about how to achieve a great yard, visit www.yardsmarts.com. The Yard Doctor knowshis turf: He’s part of the Briggs & Stratton Yard Smarts program and has fielded thousands of yard-care questions from homeowners as well as helped create playing fields for the Olympic Games and World Cup Soccer matches.
