Fall is the single best time of the year to fertilize your lawn. You will see great benefits from starting a lawn care program, or supplementing one, by feeding the grass in the fall. During the fall the top growth of leaves slows, but the growth of the roots and rhizomes increases. We recommend two feedings: one in September with Turf Builder fertilizer, and one about 8 weeks later with Winterizer Fall Lawn Fertilizer. If you miss the September feeding or only want to make one application, you can apply Winterizer anytime during the fall.
	The drought that affected much of the United States this summer damaged many lawns, but repairing your lawn shouldn't require much extra effort. If your lawn has a few isolated brown patches smaller than a dinner plate, you can quickly and easily patch each area individually. If you have more than a few spots and they are larger than a dinner plate, you'll need to overseed that part of your lawn. Fall is the best time for seeding cool season grasses - whether you're planning to overseed an existing lawn or seed a new one,  but the key points to remember are: Use top-quality grass seed; properly prepare the area; fertilize the same day; and water regularly to keep the seeded area moist. The easiest and fastest way to fix smaller, isolated bare spots is to use PatchMaster Lawn Repair Mix. It's a combination of Scotts grass seed, Starter Fertilizer, and a mulch - all blended together in a single package. All you do is scratch up the soil surface in the bare spots, scatter the PatchMaster material, and water regularly. In a week or so, the new grass will be sprouting.
	If you're not seeding this fall, it's a good time to control broadleaf weeds (such as dandelions) in your lawn. These perennial weeds won't be killed by frost, so use a product such as Turf Builder with Plus 2 Weed Control to eliminate them now. Then you won't have to look at them in the spring!
	If you haven't done so already, lower the cutting height on your mower a notch (to a height of 2 to 2-1/2 inches on most cool season grasses) when daytime temperatures drop below 60 F. This will enable more sunlight to get to the crown of the grass plants, and there will be less leaf to turn brown over the winter. Just remember the rule of thumb for mowing: Never remove more than 1/3 the height of the grass blades at once.
	Grubs are still active until the ground is cold enough to drive them deep below the grass roots - typically mid-October in the North. Until then, you can apply a grub control such as Scotts Diazinon Lawn Insect Control or Turf Builder with Insect Control. Be sure to follow the label instructions for application and watering.