Lawn care expert: Now is the time to prep your drought damaged lawn for next year

(FOX 9) - A lot of people have given up on their lawns for the season. But now is the perfect time to give your lawn a head start for next year.

After a record drought, many homeowners are feeling blue about the brown patches on their lawns. But you don't have to wait until next spring to help your grass bounce back from the dry summer.

"Fall is a great time to prepare for the next year," said Alex Olson with Diamond Cut Lawn Care.

Olson says the first thing to do is aerate or create little holes in your grass so oxygen, water, and other nutrients can reach your grassroots. Olson says then when you seed your lawn, the seeds can get further down in the soil, which will help them do a better job of taking root.

"If you have seed on the top, it will promote top growth but the roots of the grass don't go into the ground as far," he explained.

Olson says planting new seeds won't do any good if you don't give them a proper bed to grow on. So, you should water your lawn three times a day until the seeds begin to sprout then once a day before the first frost of the season.

"If you don't water after you put down seed, you are not really doing anything for your lawn," added Olson. "Then you are waiting for rain to fall and it's just kind of sitting there. You are not going to get any growth out of it."

Olson says fall is the perfect time to lay the groundwork for next spring. Before you know it, your neighbors won't be the only ones who will be green with envy.

"Definitely take care of your lawn right now before we get into the winter and you'll see lush green grass next season," Olson added.

Olson also says fertilizing your lawn now can help strengthen its roots before winter so the grass is ready to grow once the snow melts next spring.