Your Guide to a Successful Lawn Renovation
Planning on renovating your fescue lawn this fall? Fortunately, late summer is the perfect time to start preparing for a healthy, thick lawn. By following this step-by-step fall lawn renovation guide, you’ll get the best results from seeding, fertilizing, and weed control.
Step 1: Test Your Lawn Soil pH
First and foremost, healthy lawns start with healthy soil. Before you seed, it’s important to test your soil pH.
To begin, pick up a quick soil pH test kit for basic results. If needed, apply Mag-I-Cal, a calcium-based soil conditioner, to raise pH in acidic soils.
Ideally, lawn soil pH should fall between 6.2 and 7.0. When soil pH is too low (acidic), grass seed struggles to germinate, and as much as 20–70% of lawn fertilizer and weed control products can be wasted.
Step 2: Kill Existing Weeds and Grass
Next, proper weed control ensures new grass seed isn’t competing for nutrients, water, and sunlight.
For Lawn Renovation (Starting Over)
If you’re starting fresh, use Bonide KleenUp Weed & Grass Killer to eliminate all existing grass and weeds. After application, wait 7–10 days before reseeding.
For Overseeding an Existing Lawn
Alternatively, if you’re overseeding, use Bonide WeedBeater Ultra to control 200+ broadleaf weeds. In this case, wait 2½ weeks before overseeding.
Once everything has died back, rake the area down to bare soil and remove all debris.
Step 3: Aerate Your Lawn
After weed removal, aeration helps improve seed-to-soil contact and encourages faster root establishment.
Before aerating, mark irrigation heads and valve boxes. Then, water the lawn heavily 1–2 days ahead of time. When aerating, make two passes, with the second pass perpendicular to the first, for best coverage.
Step 4: Seed at the Right Time
Timing is key. For best germination, wait until daytime temperatures are 85°F or lower.
As a general rule, use the following seeding rates:
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Renovated Lawn: 8–10 lbs per 1,000 sq. ft.
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Overseeding: 4–6 lbs per 1,000 sq. ft.
Using the correct seed rate helps prevent thin areas while avoiding overcrowding.
Step 5: Fertilize for Strong Root Growth
At the same time, proper fertilization supports early root development and long-term lawn health.
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For renovated or overseeded lawns, apply Jonathan Green New Seeding & Sodding Fertilizer the same day as seeding.
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If you’re not seeding this fall, use Jonathan Green Veri-Green as your first fall fertilizer.
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Then, apply a second Veri-Green application 30–40 days after seeding.
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Finally, finish the season with Jonathan Green Winter Survival, applied 30–40 days after the second feeding.
Step 6: Plan Future Weed Control Carefully
Lastly, new grass needs time to establish before any weed control is applied.
For this reason, do not use weed controls or preventers on newly seeded lawns. Instead, wait until the lawn has been mowed 3–4 times before applying any weed control products.
Did You Know?
We offer our own custom Ken Matthews Tall Turf Blend, specially blended for the Peninsula area. This premium grass seed mix combines three to four tall turf fescue varieties that are all listed as Category 1 seeds in the VA Tech Virginia Turfgrass Variety Recommendations publication. Our grass seed blend is always sold with a current test date, ensuring maximum germination and dependable results.
Why choose a fescue grass seed blend instead of a single fescue variety? Blended grasses provide better disease resistance and create a more uniform lawn across a wide range of growing conditions. Single grass varieties are more vulnerable to pests, disease, and environmental stress, which can lead to complete die-off.
Think of a grass seed blend as a team of grasses, each suited to handle different challenges in your lawn. While a single seed variety thrives only under specific conditions, a blend increases resilience by allowing the strongest varieties to perform—even when conditions aren’t ideal.