Fall is prime time to get your cool-season fescue lawn rejuvenated again. Here are some new products to make that job easier:
– Emerge planting mulch with fertilizer for lawns helps you rejuvenate those bare and weedy spots in your stubborn grass. Made by the creators of Preen, Emerge pellets expand when watered to maintain moisture for faster seed germination. The 1-3-1 starter fertilizer in the pellets speeds growth to help new grass fill in faster. Emerge is the same product as Penn Mulch, bagged in bulk for large lawn projects.
The one-step planting mulch helps prevent weeds and unlike straw, contains no weed seeds to invade your lawn. Emerge is biodegradable, naturally disappearing without harming young grass plants. Also, try Emerge for vegetable and flower gardens to start seeds. A 6-pound canister covers 100 square feet ($8); a 30-pound canister also is available. Made by Lebanon Seaboard Corp., 800-233-0626, or visit www.lebsea.com.
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– SuperGreenPower formula 24-2-12 with IBDU (Isobutylidene diurea) features 70 percent slow-release nitrogen for less waste and runoff. Lebanon Seaboard says IBDU allows grass to hold more potassium for better wear-tolerance and disease-resistance; it also contains sulfate of potash, a source of potassium preferred by golf-course managers for health and vigor.
IBDU is a fertilizer source that the Japanese used 30 years ago for rice paddies, says Rich Hardie of Lebanon. IBDU is moisture-activated, not temperature- or microbial-activated, meaning it feeds cool season grasses all winter. About $20 to $39 worth covers 5,000 to 10,000 square feet.
Also, look for Winter Green fall fertilizer in 10-16-20 and Green Power slow-release for mid- to late-fall feeding; sold under the Greenview label at garden centers, 800-233-0626, or visit www.lebsea.com.
– Fully assembled, all-poly lawn spreaders by Ames include the 2-1 combination that does both broadcast and drop-spreading applications. Ames’ combo features a hopper big enough to hold 21/2 bags of 5,000-square-foot fertilizer and converts quickly and easily from one model to the other by raising and lowering the shroud. Combo is $80; for a retailer, call 800-725-9500, or visit www.ames.com.
– The new Mantis edger combines the maneuverability of a stick edger and the power of a wheeled edger, all in just 16 pounds. It goes where no traditional walk-behind edger has gone before. You get crisp, clean finished edges in its wake; it cuts an edge just as fast as you can walk.
The edger’s power lies in its engine, the same engine used on the Mantis tiller/cultivator, which many local gardeners praise and use. The easy-starting engine cuts even in hard clay soil; wheelbarrow-style handles enhance its handling because most of the edger’s weight rides on the guide wheel for less efforts and fatigue. Cost: $300. Call 800-366-6268 or visit mantisgardentools.com.
– The Rainmaker combines a copper statue, sprinkler and gazing ball into a whimsical garden ornament with form and function to delight you and attract the birds while you water your lawn and gardens.
Attached to the top of the Rainmaker’s 48-inch copper pole, the gazing ball adds sparkle and provides an eye-level, all-around view of the garden. The copper sprinkler head surrounds the gazing ball like a rainbow. A “copper vine” is wound around the pole from top to bottom.
The Rainmaker ($49) comes with a blue or green gazing ball. Available at Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse. Visit www.lowes.com to find the store closest to you.