🌾 A Weekend Soaking, Last Call for Grass Seed and Burn Season Around the Corner: Your Farm & Garden Report

Or: Cover the Hay, Sow the Fescue and Grab a Free Permit Before You Strike a Match

After a long dry spell, a rain in the forecast feels like hearing the mail truck pull up when you’ve been waiting on a check. It doesn’t fix everything, but it sure helps.

The leftovers of Tropical Storm Isaias are set to bring the Valley its best chance of rain in weeks this weekend. That makes the next few days a good time to get some farm and garden jobs done before the ground gets wet.

Here’s what’s in this week’s report: what the weekend rain means for pastures, ponds and hay, the mid-October cutoff for sowing fescue in lawns, Tennessee’s free burn permits starting Oct. 15, plus an easier use for your leaves, where calf prices stood at Tennessee sale barns last week, state-grown tree seedlings you can order now for winter planting and two learning days for cattle and land owners on Monday, Oct. 12.

⏱️ What this means for you in 30 seconds

• Before Saturday: Get hay under cover, tie down tarps and loose items, and clear pond overflows and culverts.
• Lawn folks: UT Extension says fescue seed should go in no later than mid-October. Sowing just before this weekend’s rain is good timing.
• Burning brush or leaves? Starting Thursday, Oct. 15, you need a free same-day permit from the state.
• Cattle folks: Light calves sold a few dollars lower at Tennessee auctions last week, but still above last year’s prices.
• Thinking about trees? The state nursery is taking seedling orders now for pickup in January through March.

🌧️ The Weekend Rain Is Coming: Get the Hay Covered and the Ditches Clear

The National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap shows sunny days in the mid 80s through Friday, then a 40 percent chance of showers Friday night, rain showers Saturday (80 percent) with gusts up to 25 mph, and showers and thunderstorms Saturday night and Sunday (90 percent). Monday looks mostly dry. The Weather Service told The Tennessean on Wednesday that it expects “a good soaking rain Saturday into Sunday” from the storm’s remnants, with 1 to 3 inches possible in Middle Tennessee. It also said it isn’t yet clear how much the rain will ease the drought.

Lows stay in the mid to upper 50s through next Tuesday, so there’s no frost in sight in the current forecast.

What it means for you: Think of the next three dry days like the hour before company comes. Tidy up now and you can sit back and enjoy the visit. Get round bales off the ground or under a roof, tie down tarps and feed sacks, and pick up anything the wind could toss around. Clear pond overflows, culverts and ditches so the water goes where you want it. Hard, dry ground soaks up rain slowly at first, so a heavy burst can run off fast. After the storm passes, ride your fence lines and check water gaps along creeks for limbs and washouts. One good rain will give fall fescue a real boost, but it’s still smart to keep counting your hay.

👉 Read more (National Weather Service forecast for Dunlap) · The Tennessean on Isaias and Tennessee rain

🌱 Last Call for Fescue Seed: UT Says Plant by Mid-October

UT Extension’s Master Gardener turfgrass guide says tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and fine fescue seed should be planted in late summer or early fall and no later than mid-October, so the young grass has time to mature before next summer’s heat. The guide says cool-season grass seed germinates best when air temperatures cycle between 59 and 82 degrees, and calls late August to mid-October “an excellent time to plant seed.”

What it means for you: This week’s weather is close to that sweet spot, with cool nights and a free watering on the way. If you’ve got bare or thin patches in the yard, rake them up a little, spread seed in the next day or two and let Saturday’s rain settle it in. It’s a bit like planting a seed right before Grandma waters the flower bed. If heavy rain washes some seed into low spots, a light touch-up next week will even things out. Seeding after mid-October still might work in a mild year, but the odds go down.

👉 Read more (UT Extension Master Gardener: Turfgrass Management in Tennessee)

🔥 Brush Pile Season Starts Oct. 15: Get the Free Permit, or Let Your Leaves Feed the Garden

The Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s Division of Forestry reminded folks on Wednesday that starting Oct. 15, you need a free burn permit before burning leaves, brush or other natural debris, or doing a prescribed burn. Permits are issued the same day you plan to burn, at BurnSafeTN.org or through the MyTN app, seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. If you don’t have good internet, you can call 1-877-350-BURN (2876) on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central. The state pauses permits on high-risk days with strong wind or very low humidity. Fires must be completely out before the permit expires and should never be left alone. If you live inside city limits, check with your city for its own rules first.

State Forester Heather Slayton said more than 90 percent of Tennessee wildfires are caused by people, including burns that get away. The state averages about 1,000 wildfires a year.

What it means for you: Getting a burn permit is about like checking the weather before you hang out the wash. It takes two minutes and saves you a headache. Burn on a calm day, keep a hose and a rake handy, and stay with it till it’s cold. Or skip the match altogether: UT’s soil scientists suggest shredding fall leaves with the mower and using them as mulch, or piling them up for compost. Mix in some green stuff like grass clippings, and by spring you’ll have rich soil for the garden for free.

👉 Read more (Tennessee Department of Agriculture: Burn permits and fire safety) · UT: Save Your Leaves, Save Some Green

🐄 Calf Prices Took a Small Step Back Last Week, but Still Beat Last Year

USDA’s weekly Tennessee cattle summary for the week ending Oct. 4 showed 10,439 head sold at Tennessee auctions, up from 7,206 the week before. Feeder steers under 600 pounds sold $6 to $8 lower per hundredweight, and heifers under 600 pounds sold $7 to $10 lower. Even so, the state average for 450- to 500-pound steers was $413.32 per hundredweight, compared with $403.87 a year ago. Slaughter cows sold $3 to $5 lower.

What it means for you: Cattle prices bob up and down like a cork on a fishing line, and one week’s dip doesn’t make a trend. Prices for lighter calves are still above where they were last fall. If the dry pastures have you thinking about selling a few head early, as UT Extension has suggested for open cows and extra bulls, it helps to watch the weekly report for a few weeks and talk with your sale barn before deciding. A hundredweight is just 100 pounds, so a 475-pound calf at $413 per hundredweight would bring about $1,960 before fees.

👉 Read more (USDA Weekly Tennessee Cattle and Grain Summary)

🌲 Plant a Windbreak or a Wildlife Patch This Winter: State Tree Seedlings Are on Sale Now

The Division of Forestry’s East Tennessee Nursery in Delano is taking seedling orders through 5 p.m. Eastern on March 15, 2027, or while supplies last. It offers more than three dozen native hardwood, pine and shrub species, including some suited to streambank restoration. You can order online at PlantTNTrees.org, by email or by mail. Pickup is free at the nursery or at one of several state cooler locations in January, February or March, and FedEx delivery is available for an extra charge. Orders have to be in by the 15th of the month before the month you want them, so a January pickup means ordering by Dec. 15.

What it means for you: Ordering trees in October is like buying seed potatoes before the store runs out. The nursery says some species sell out quickly. A row of pines along a pasture edge can block winter wind for cattle, a few oaks can feed wildlife with acorns, and native shrubs along a creek bank help hold the soil in place. Winter is the right time to plant bare-root seedlings, so you’ll be ready right when they arrive. Questions? Call the nursery at 877-868-7337.

👉 Read more (Tennessee Department of Agriculture: Nursery open for orders) · Seedling ordering and pickup guide

🎓 Two Learning Days on Monday, Oct. 12, for Cattle and Land Owners

Beef cattle nutrition, free, in Birchwood. UT-TSU Extension Hamilton County’s monthly beef series meets Monday, Oct. 12, at 6 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. Central) at the Birchwood Community Center, 5623 Highway 60. This month’s speaker is Dr. David Lalman of Oklahoma State University on beef cattle nutrition. It’s free, but you need to register. Each session counts for 1.5 of the 12 credits needed for a Master Beef certificate, and Master Beef is the education that TAEP, the state’s farm cost-share program, requires for its cattle programs. The series is set up for Hamilton County producers, so Valley folks should call 423-209-8560 to ask about attending.

Southeast Farm and Forest Land Summit, $20, in Columbia. UT and the Tennessee Farm Bureau are hosting their first summit on keeping farm and forest land working, also on Monday, Oct. 12, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Farm Bureau headquarters in Columbia. Topics include farm profitability, land access for young and beginning farmers, and succession planning, which means deciding how the farm gets passed down. Lunch is included. Register at tiny.utk.edu/2026-land-summit.

What it means for you: A good class is like a sharp tool. It makes the same job easier. If you missed TAEP’s application window, which closes today, Oct. 7, starting on Master Beef credits now gets you ready for next October. And if you’ve been putting off the “who gets the farm” talk with your family, the land summit is a gentle place to start learning how other families handle it.

👉 Read more (UT-TSU Extension Hamilton County: Beef Series) · UTIA: Southeast Farm and Forest Land Summit

✅ Your Farm & Garden Checklist for This Week

• ✅ Get hay under cover and tie down tarps and loose items before Saturday.
• ✅ Clear pond overflows, culverts and ditches so rain drains where it should.
• ✅ After the storm, ride fence lines and check creek water gaps for limbs and washouts.
• ✅ Sow fescue seed on thin lawn spots now, before the rain and before mid-October.
• ✅ Burning after Oct. 15? Get your free same-day permit at BurnSafeTN.org or in the MyTN app.
• ✅ Shred leaves with the mower for mulch, or start a compost pile.
• ✅ Selling cattle soon? Check the weekly USDA Tennessee cattle report and talk with your sale barn.
• ✅ Order tree seedlings at PlantTNTrees.org by Dec. 15 for January pickup.
• ✅ Missed TAEP? Start earning Master Beef credits now for next year.
• ✅ Keep counting your hay. One good rain helps, but winter is still long.

Practical rule: Work while it’s dry, let the rain do the watering, and never burn without a permit and a hose.

— Dunlap.Today

📚 Plain-English Farm & Garden Glossary

• Remnants: What’s left of a tropical storm after it moves inland and weakens. Mostly rain and some wind.
• Water gap: The spot where a fence crosses a creek. High water often snags limbs and trash there.
• Cool-season grass: Grasses like tall fescue and bluegrass that grow best in spring and fall.
• Overseeding: Spreading new grass seed over an existing lawn to fill thin spots.
• Burn permit: Free, same-day permission from the state to burn leaves or brush from Oct. 15 to May 15.
• Prescribed burn: A planned, controlled fire used to manage fields or woods.
• Compost: Leaves, grass and kitchen scraps that break down into rich soil over time.
• Hundredweight (cwt): 100 pounds. Cattle prices are quoted in dollars per hundredweight.
• Feeder calf: A young calf sold to be grown out and fed before going to market.
• Bare-root seedling: A young tree sold without a pot or soil around its roots, planted in winter while it’s dormant.
• Master Beef Producer: A UT Extension training program for cattle farmers. Finishing it can make you eligible for state cost-share.
• Succession planning: Deciding ahead of time how a farm or land will be passed on to the next generation.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Will this weekend’s rain end the drought?

Probably not by itself. The Weather Service says it isn’t yet clear how much the rain will ease the drought. It will give pastures, gardens and new grass seed a real boost, though, so make the most of it.

Do I need a burn permit this week?

The permit requirement starts Thursday, Oct. 15, and runs through May 15. Even before then, burn only on a calm day, keep water handy and never leave a fire alone. If you live in town, check your city’s rules too.

How do I get a burn permit if I don’t use the internet?

Call 1-877-350-BURN (2876), Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central. The state says wait times can be long on busy days, so calling early in the day helps.

Is it too late to seed my lawn?

Not yet. UT Extension says to plant fescue and other cool-season grasses no later than mid-October, so the next week or so is your last good window this fall.

How do I order tree seedlings from the state?

Order online at PlantTNTrees.org, email the order form to Plant.TNtrees@tn.gov, or call 877-868-7337. Pick a pickup month and get your order in by the 15th of the month before.

Who can help me with a farm or garden question here in the Valley?

Call the Sequatchie County UT Extension office at 423-949-2611 or stop by 170 Church Street in Dunlap. In Bledsoe County, call 423-447-2451.

🔗 Other Resources

• Burn Safe TN: Get your free burn permit
• TN Wildland Fire: Burn permit information
• East Tennessee Nursery: Order tree seedlings
• USDA Weekly Tennessee Cattle and Grain Summary
• UT Extension: Home Composting
• UT Calendar: Southeast Farm and Forest Land Summit
• UT Northeast Tennessee Beef Expo, Oct. 15–16 (early registration ends Oct. 9)
• U.S. Drought Monitor: Tennessee
• UT Extension Sequatchie County

🌻 Let the Rain Do Its Work, and Rest Easy

A soaking rain after a dry spell is one of the best gifts a Valley farm can get. Use these sunny days to tie things down and plant what needs planting, then sit on the porch Saturday and listen to the rain on the roof. Check on a neighbor who might need a hand with hay or fence, and stay safe if you burn later this month.

We’ll be back with more practical farm and garden news you can use. Read Dunlap.Today and sign up for our newsletter for plain-English farm, garden and Valley news.