Flipping through a gardening magazine I came upon a full-page ad topped by a red label screaming “Warning: Your Lawn May be Hazardous to Your Health.” Tell me something I don't know.
Still, I was curious.
More alarms leaped from the ad copy: Chemical Exposure . . . Carbon Emissions from Mowers . . . Fertilizer Runoff. Must be an ad for natural lawn care products.
Not.
Would you believe artificial turf for home lawns?
Yup. The look of a verdant summer lawn can be yours 365. No August dog days brown-out, no drab January dormancy, no bare patches, no grubs, no mowing.
Won’t be long before it catches on in the McMansion 'hoods.
Well, if you prefer to go natural, get out in the yard this weekend. A lush lawn next spring starts in autumn. Fall Lawn Care ChecklistDownload file
Test Your Soil
Step One: get a soil test!
Don’t buy a single bag of lime, don’t drag the spreader out of the garage, don’t even think about touching a rake until you have your soil checked.
Get an accurate read on the existing pH and of essential plant nutrients in the soil.
Soil pH is a measurement of the acidity or alkaline of the soil, which affects the ability of grass plants to take up nutrients.
The grass gurus at Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station http://njaes.rutgers.edu/ recommend a slightly acidic pH level 6.0 – 6.5.
If your soil pH is out of whack you can throw grass seed, and spread lime and fertilizer till you’re blue in the face, with little to show for your effort.
Click here for Rutgers soil test instructions and forms: http://njaes.rutgers.edu/soiltestinglab/forms.asp
Fall is the time to fertilize and spread lime
Once you know what your soil is lacking you can finally bring the spreader out of the garage.
If the soil is too acidic, apply the recommended amount of lime. Pulverized or pelletized garden lime activates quickest. Tip: pelletized limestone is less of a mess, and you won’t end up looking like the Pillsbury Dough Boy.
To adjust high pH (alkaline), apply a proper amount of agricultural sulfur.
Spread a final dose of fertilizer in late October to provide your grass with nutrients that will be absorbed and stored until needed for spring growth. Lawns that receive late-season fertilizing are often the first to begin growing in the spring.
Help your lawn breath easier
Aerating and dethatching in autumn is like a spa treatment for your lawn. A pale, tired-looking yard will respond with youthful vigor come spring.
Your lawn needs to breath. Foot traffic, like walking and mowing, compacts the soil over time, making it harder for grass roots to grow.
Rent a core aerator for the job. An aerator mechanically removes random three-inch plugs of turf to allow the roots to more efficiently take up oxygen, water and nutrients.
Thoroughly water the lawn the night before you plan to aerate. Make sure to mark sprinkler heads and drains. Walk the aerator over the entire lawn just as you would a lawn mower.
Too much thatch in the lawn can also suffocate grass roots. Thatch is not dried clippings. Thatch is dead tissue that accumulates between the soil and the growing blades of grass.
Dethatching machines can be rented from most tool rental shops.
Cut the lawn at a lower than usual mower height before dethatching.
Dethatching may tear up the lawn a bit and cause browning for a short period. Don’t freak out. To help your lawn recover, rake up all the thatch debris, apply fertilizer and water the lawn thoroughly.
Reap next Spring what you sow this Fall
Whether you are starting a new lawn or filling bare spots, the mild, sunny days and rainfall of autumn will help your turf put down roots.
Choose a cool season variety of grass seed suitable for your area and growing conditions. In general, a seed mixture of 85 percent Tall Fescue and 15 percent Kentucky Blue Grass does well for most home landscapes in the soils of the Delaware Valley.
Gently rake over the seeded area to ensure soil contact. Water daily in the early morning to keep the soil sufficiently moist for the seed to germinate. You can reduce the frequency of watering as the grass grows.
Water, cut, and rake
Even though temperatures are cooler, your lawn still needs water. Grass is growing throughout the fall, so regular watering is important. Go ahead and water as needed until the ground is cold and beginning to freeze.
It’s important to keep your grass two to two and a half inches tall throughout the fall. If your grass gets much longer than three inches it will mat, leading to winter lawn disease problems. If you cut it shorter than two inches, you’ll severely limit its ability to make and store food for growth in the spring.
Remove leaves from your lawn on a regular basis. A heavy layer of leaves can mat the lawn and smother the grass, especially when wet. Those conditions can also be a breeding ground for some disgusting diseases and icky insects that affect grass. 
Grass is a plant. A lawn is made up of about a gazillion of these plants. Like any plant in your home landscape, grass has roots and leaves. Grass plants need oxygen, water, nutrients, and a gardener’s attention to grow.
Giving your lawn some extra attention as the Eagles season gets under way this fall will help your yard look as good as the Phillies’ outfield by Opening Day next spring.
Invading towns. Children playing alongside the rodents.