Be sure to stop by Betty's if you have any questions or need advice.

Fertilize. September is the most important month to fertilize your lawn grasses. Select a premium slow-release product like 'Rockland Super Turf Assurance 28-2-8' if you want to fertilize only once. Most lawn fertilizer is somewhat 'slow-release.' Like many other things, the more you pay the more you get. Use of a less expensive lawn fertilizer will mean a second application in 6-8 weeks.

Desirable lawn grasses are tillering now. This means they are spreading out their growth area and sending down new root systems. Fertilizing now means a denser grass cover and growth of healthy roots to resist the stresses of heat next summer (assuming we have a more normal summer next year.)

Seed. If you have bare patches from disease, pests or just high lawn-traffic, you will be restoring these areas of your lawn by over seeding. If you read our August advice calendar, you may have decided to renovate your entire lawn. Please check our August column for instructions on preparation for seeding: grub control, weed eradication, de-thatching, aeration and lime application. Now you must purchase the best seed for your lawn. If you don't know what kind of grass you have, please bring in a few samples to Betty's for identification. Ideally, you will want to seed with at least a similar variety to what you now have.

Cool season grass seeds for our area are tall fescue, fine bladed fescue, bluegrass and perennial rye.

• Tall Fescue - use on sunny lawn areas. Some varieties will tolerate up to 50% shade. It is drought tolerant and traffic resistant. Bare areas should be seeded at a rate of 8-10 lbs. per 1,000 sq. ft. of lawn. Over seeding of thin areas will require 2-5 lbs. Per 1,000 sq. ft.. Tall fescue will grow thinner blades if seeded heavily.
• Fine Bladed Fescue - tolerates more shade than their coarser cousin. Creeping red fescue and chewings fescue are common varieties of this type of seed. It is not as tolerant of drought and foot traffic as tall fescue. The seeds are smaller and seeding rates correspondingly lower.
• Bluegrass - is beautiful, very cold hardy but not very drought or traffic resistant. 'Laser' and 'Sabre' are two varieties specifically developed for use in dense shade (under oak trees, example).
• Perennial Rye - is primarily a grass for our northern neighbors. A small amount mixed with fescues will brighten your winter lawn.
• Grass Seed Mixtures - Each variety of seed is bred to excel in drought, sun and shade tolerance; disease and pest resistance; tolerance of certain temperature ranges and foot traffic. No one seed does it all. Common sense tells us not to put all our eggs in one basket. Grass seed mixtures of carefully selected, premium seeds give us the best chance of a beautiful lawn. Betty's has had three such mixtures developed especially for us: B.A.R. Mix for sunny lawns, B.A.R. Shady Mix and Betty's Deluxe Dense Shade Mix.

Sowing Grass Seed:

1. Mow existing lawn fairly short. This will allow new seed to reach the ground. Also, you will not be mowing again until the new grass reaches 3" in height.
2. Rake the soil surface. It is essential that the seed be in contact with soil to germinate.
3. Sow seed at recommended rates with a rotary spreader. Sow half the recommended amount walking from north to south. Sow the remainder walking east to west over the same area.
4. Spread 1/4" of Nutri-Green over the entire lawn. Nutri-Green is the soil amendment that was developed to replace Compro. It is sterilized waste, composted mulch and lime. Grass loves it. It will also help keep the seed and then grass seedlings moist during the critical first ten days or so after sowing. On steep slopes spread straw or especially developed cloth covers to prevent run off of new seed during heavy rains.

THE FALL LANDSCAPE

If you haven't done so already, go out and walk your landscape with a critical eye. How much color do you see? Now is the time to improve your landscape palette.

Annuals. Trim back summer flowering annuals and fertilize to enjoy one more good fall bloom. Remove spent annuals and plant fall annuals in their places: pansies, chrysanthemums, ornamental cabbage and kale. The pansies will winter over and provide a spring show as well.

Bulbs: Purchase your spring flowering bulbs now when the selection is best. Store them in a cool, dry, dark environment until planting time in October.

Tulips: If you've had trouble with tulips blooming only the first year and never again, try these species tulips for 3 to 5 year repeat blooming - Tulipa fosteriana, Tulipa greigii, Tulipa praestans, Triumph tulips, Lily-flowered tulips, and Darwin hybrid tulips. Fertilize just as the foliage breaks ground and again after blooms are spent. Do not cut back foliage until it begins to die (turn yellow.)

Perennials: Do your perennial borders contain any of the following: asters, hardy chrysanthemums, goldenrod, Helleborus niger, Physostegia, purple coneflower, salvia, or sedum? If not, consider adding clusters of these fall-blooming beauties.

Shrubs and Vines: Abelia, althea, butterfly bush, Camellia sasanqua, Caryopteris, Crape Myrtle, Hypericum, osmanthus, pyracantha, roses and viburnum are showing either blooms or berries in September. Are there any in your landscape?

Roses: Prepare now for the best roses of the year - fall blooms. Prune out all faded flowers and weak or diseased canes. Consider removing and replacing the mulch around your roses. So many pests and diseases rest in the old mulch. Spray now and every 7-10 days with a good combination fungicide and insecticide. Fertilize with a good rose fertilizer which is high in phosphorus to promote bloom over foliage growth. A little effort now will pay great dividends very soon.

VEGETABLE GARDENING

With a little luck and a frost cover cloth just in case, it's not too late for an interesting fall garden. Check seed packets for plants maturing in 45 days or less from seed. Some possible selections are: carrots, cilantro, leaf lettuce, onions, parsley, radishes, spinach and zucchini.

Strawberries: a fruit (I know) often included in the vegetable garden. Strawberries can be set out now. Improve the soil to a depth of 12". If you are still uncertain of good drainage, form raised rows at least 3 1/2 to 4' apart. Set plants in the top of the mounds 18-24" apart. Mulch lightly. Be prepared to change out the mulch in the spring to avoid over-wintering diseases.

OTHER SEPTEMBER TO-DO'S

Birds: If you want birds in your winter landscape, begin feeding now. Plan to feed throughout the winter. Be aware that moldy seed can harm birds. Clean out your feeders occasionally and limit how much seed you put out during rainy periods.

Gladiolus: Gladiolus are not hardy in our area. Sometimes we get lucky with a protected spot warmed by heat escaping from our houses. Mostly, prize specimen bulbs should be dug out this month. Remove the tops and let the bulbs dry out for two weeks. Then, dust the bulbs with 'diazinon' for insect control and 'captan' as a fungicide before storing them in dry peat moss or vermiculite for the winter. Store at 40 to 50 degrees F..

Bringing in Houseplants: Most houseplants are tropicals which are damaged or killed at temperatures below 45 degrees F. If you put houseplants outside for the summer, prepare to bring them inside now. Check each plant for insects. Check the foliage, stems and soil. Spray the plant with a solution of insecticidal soap once a day for a period of six days to eradicate most insects. The insecticidal soaps work only when they directly contact the insect body. Repeat sprayings are necessary. If you notice signs of scale infestation, whitish coating on stems and leaf stems, spray plant with a light horticultural oil.

To be even more certain that you have removed all insect pests from your houseplants, re-pot each plant before bringing it inside. Ease the plant from its pot. Remove at least 1 inch of soil from the top, sides and bottom. Clean the pot with a 10% solution of 'Clorox' and water. Re-pot with fresh soil.

Once inside the house prevent heavy leaf drop by providing the newly moved plant with at least 5 hours of bright light each day and additional humidity in the form of spraying or trays of water.

Peonies: Early September is the time to lift and divide peonies in your garden. When you divide growing the clump, make sure there are at least 3-5 eyes per clump. Re-plant the divisions at (not below) soil level to prevent rot over winter. Mulch to a depth of 2-3 inches.