When is your lawn’s trouble time? After the winter? After the hot, dry summer? As with most problems, ignoring your lawn’s needs will not make them go away. There are as many kinds of lawn problems as there are types of grass. I will focus here on a few of the more common lawn woes.
The time of year to repair your lawn varies in the US. In the North, you should repair your lawn in the fall. Spring or early summer is the best time for repairs if you live in the South.
First and foremost, before you start working on your lawn, you need to do some basic clean-up. Remove all trash, rocks, and organic debris such as dead leaves, sticks, twigs, etc. Next mow your lawn. You should cut slightly lower than the usual recommendation for your type of grass (see Caring for Your Healthy Lawn) so you can more easily observe trouble spots.
Gardening Tips: Repairing Your Damaged Lawn
Bare spots
Bare spots are probably the most common lawn dilemma. However, they are relatively easy to fix, too. Start by turning over the top four to six inches of soil. Break up any compacted areas. Work a good quality fertilizer into the newly churned soil. Rake the area smooth and sprinkle with grass seeds. Run a shovel gently over the area to press the seeds into the dirt to prevent them from blowing away. Water lightly. Cover the seeds with mulch, such as hay or a length of burlap, depending on the size of your bare spot. Continue to water lightly until the grass is established. A thorough drenching may cause the seeds to wash away, resulting in unsatisfactory coverage of your bare spot, so frequent light waterings are preferred. Do not mow new growth until it reaches a height of at least two inches!
Thatch
Thatch is not the result of an accumulation of grass clippings. In fact, if you have a relatively weed-free lawn, leaving your clippings on the ground is a great way to add nutrients back to the soil. Thatch is actually a rotting buildup of leaf sheaths, roots, and other organic matter. There is a certain amount of thatch in all lawns, and a small amount serves several beneficial purposes. However, too much thatch provides a breeding ground for insects, prevents water from reaching the roots, and makes it difficult for new grass to grow.
The most efficient way to eliminate thatch is to use a power rake. These can usually be rented from a gardening tool supplier for a minimal fee. The power rake must be set to cut completely through the thatch and a short way into the soil. After a few passes you’ll need to stop and rake up the newly harvested thatch. Save this matter for the compost heap!
Seeding a thin lawn
A power rake is not only the most effective dethatcher, it is a great tool to use when you overseed your lawn. Overseeding is the process of spreading seed over your existing lawn in order to thicken it. Make a pass over your entire lawn with the power rake set low enough to expose the soil. The cuts in the soil will give the seeds a firm hold on your turf.
Purchase a high quality grass seed. The investment in hearty, weed-free seed is worth the additional cost. In the long run, you will save time and money by not having to purchase products to kill weeds and/or remove weeds by hand.
Spread the seed lightly using a spreader for even distribution. Check the seed bag for recommendations for overseeding. If there are none, spread the seed at about half the rate you would for establishing a new lawn. Water lightly, as you would when covering bare spots. Until your new lawn is established you should continue the light waterings. Once the lawn is established, follow the usual recommended watering schedule. This means wetting the soil using a sprinkler system until the soil is wet to a depth of 9-12 inches.
Weed control
Specific methods for destroying the many various lawn weeds are beyond the scope of this article. If you are plagued by a particular weed, your local nursery should have information on its control. If not, a book on basic lawn care should give you good advice. However, for most weeds, a post-emergent weed killer will work. The down side is that you will have to wait until the weeds sprout before taking action. Also, herbicides are not picky. They’ll kill your grass, shrubs, and flowers as well as your targeted weeds, so you need to be careful when applying weed killer. Weed killers come with warning labels. Read the warnings and follow the directions for use exactly!
Pest control
Once again, specific methods for destroying the innumerable insects that can invade your lawn are beyond the scope of this article. The best defense, in this case, is a good offense. Keeping your lawn healthy by properly watering, mowing, and fertilizing will leave you less open to invasion by pests. If the infestation has already occurred, you may need to resort to commercial insecticides. Once again, read the warning label and follow the directions exactly!
While some plants thrive with minimal care, grass is not one of them. Like so many of us, you may have subscribed to the adage, “If it is green and it grows, it is good enough for me.” This does not have to be the case! Maintaining your lawn properly is the best way to combat bugs, weeds, and diseases. A healthy lawn, one you can walk through barefoot in the summer, is a joy to behold. Make it a family project, read all you can, and get started. A lawn that is the envy of the neighborhood is just a short year away!
Happy Gardening!
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