If you have a cool season yard, such as Fescue, now is a great time to over-seed and apply soil amendments like fertilizer.
Fescue loses its density or its “Stand” during the summer months. This is what causes “stooling” or clumping of the surviving plants. I suggest adding 6 to 8 pounds per 1000 square feet of new seed each fall. A blended mixture of seed seems to work best because you get the benefit of various traits, such as drought tolerance, color, endurance, etc. We sell a blend that works well here on the farm, but your landscape supplier will also have seed available.
Aggressive raking or aerification is usually enough to get these seed in contact with the soil. Afterward, it is important to keep the site moist for at least two weeks.
It is also a good idea to start your fall fertility program. Most of our life long fescue growers will tell you to apply fertilizer in any month with an “R” in it. Examples would be SeptembeR, NovembeR, MaRch, etc. (ARgust does not qualify).
I like to apply a complete fertilizer like 13-13-13 at 7 pounds per 1000 square feet in mid September and mid March. The other R months might only get Nitrogen. I like the slow release form of 20-04-0.
Continue to mow these cool season grasses at a taller level. I like fescue at about 3 inches because it stripes up nicely.
Beautiful Fescue in spring begins with some preparation this fall.

Good Growing to you,
Bob McCurdy