Planting the Plains: Readying Your Lawn for the Cool Season

By Anthony Reardon

Published September 18, 2026 at 6:00 AM CDT

It's great to keep your lawn healthy in the cooler months, but to do so, you'll really benefit from knowing about various types of grasses. But, wait...there's more! Do you know what type of soil you have in your yard? Understanding BOTH of these is the key before putting in your new grass, and we'll talk more about this in this week's episode!

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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: Reviewing Soil Amendments

Anthony Reardon

This part of September is ideal for taking (making!) the time to sample your soil, and have it tested to know exactly what you're trying to use to grow your garden plants...if you don't know, how can you know what's best for them? This week, we'll talk about the soil on the High Plains, and how to address whatever results you find in your own soil!
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Planting the Plains: Removing Debris in the Fall

Anthony Reardon

Can you feel it? Fall is almost here, and your plants certainly know it. In fact, it may be time to clean up some of the mess they've created over the summer. In this week's episode, we'll talk about how to make the most of your cleanup, and how best to prepare for next year.
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Planting the Plains: Making the Most of September Harvests

Anthony Reardon

As the growing season starts to come to a close, and you get closer to harvest, it’s a good time to take stock of all best ways to handle your early fall harvest; your efforts now can help your plants focus their energy on fruiting, and any extras can be frozen or canned…we’ll discuss how in this week’s episode!
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Planting the Plains: Benefiting the Beneficials

Anthony Reardon

While you’re putting the effort into gardening, why not do a little extra for the pollinators and others who bring a lot to your garden and your yard? A nice side benefit to your work is the way that you can also help Mother Nature do her thing, and we’ll talk this week about how!
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Planting the Plains: August Garden Cleanup

Anthony Reardon

Sometimes it’s hard to know whether you should trim back your plants, or otherwise prepare for the colder weather as fall approaches. This week, we’ll talk about which plants can withstand this maintenance, and when to maybe just…hold off.