QUESTION: My lawn needs a complete overhaul. The weather is good outside, and we're getting rain pretty often now. Why do I have to wait until September?ANSWER: Tempting though it is to do the work now, midsummer is not the best time for renewing fescue lawns. Fescue is a cool-season grass, meaning that its roots and leaves grow most vigorously in fall, winter and spring. Fescue is semi-dormant during the hottest weeks of summer. Make your target date for overseeding Sept. 15. In the meantime, you can do several things to advance your project.• Go on a weed campaign. Go over your lawn for weeds that prospered from recent rain. Spray them with a weed killer or dig up individual weeds such as plantain.• Get a soil test through your county's office of the Cooperative Extension Service in North Carolina and South Carolina. The results will give recommendations on the amount of lime and fertilizer to put the ground in good shape for growing grass. Once you get this, you can go ahead and put down the amount of lime required.• Consider sod. If you have a small lawn or area within it that requires revitalization, sod can provide an instant fix. Since the fescue is already rooted and growing, you can roll it out in August, provided you promise to keep it watered and the weather is pleasant enough for working outdoors.• Shrink your lawn. This could be your opportunity to create natural areas of mulch with shade-loving plants such as hostas, azaleas, pieris and wildflowers.

Nancy Brachey writes for The Charlotte Observer, 600 S. Tryon St., P.O. Box 30308, Charlotte, NC 28230.