Planting the Plains: Lawn Establishment Tips

By Anthony Reardon

Published August 23, 2025 at 8:35 AM CDT

Fall is an excellent time to see new grass growth due to a combination of factors: warm soil temperatures, cooler air, and increased rainfall, which all favor seed germination and healthy root development.

This week, we'll talk about how to kick-start your lawn, for a richer, thicker turf in the spring!

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Planting the Plains Planting the Plains

Anthony Reardon

Anthony Reardon is the Horticulture – Small Farms Extension Agent for Johnson County, Kansas.

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Planting the Plains: Planting Fall Mums

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We're coming up on the late summer/early fall time that's ideal for planting chrysanthemums. Early planting (late August/early September) is crucial to allow for root development before the first frost, and so it'll be important to get them into the ground soon. This week on Planting the Plains...mum's the word!
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Planting the Plains: Compost in the Summer

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We've all heard of composting, and many of us have bins or pits near our gardens to help build a little microbe factory for our soil. But HOW you make your compost pile, how often you churn it, and other factors can affect the quality of your composted material. We'll talk this week about some ways to keep your rotting organic pile cranking out nutrients for your garden!
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Planting the Plains: Early Garden Rejuvenation

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Lots of folks prefer to do their garden rejuvenation in the fall, after harvesting. But sometimes, your soil is depleted and needs some nutrients, and the hotter weather of summer does bring some speedy benefits to this process. We'll talk this week about how you can spend the warmer months preparing for next year's garden.