Restoring a Tired Lawn
Restoring a tired lawn allows you to improve your lawn without removing the existing turf. You will have the best chance of success if you do a thorough walk-through of your lawn checking both… Read more »
Getting a Soil Test
To improve your soil, you need to understand what you have in order to apply the right soil amendments. The best way to test your soil is to send a sample to a Cooperative Extension Service (CSREE… Read more »
Eight Steps to Restoring a Lawn
It takes work, but it is not impossible to give your lawn a facelift. Follow these steps to help wake up a tired lawn: Step 1: Remove thatch and weed buildup. The best time to dethatch is in the sp… Read more »
Step 1. Remove Thatch and Weeds
The first step to lawn restoration is to remove any thatch buildup. Thatch is un-decomposed stems and roots that accumulate near the soil surface. Dig up a small, triangular-shaped plug of… Read more »
Step 2. Fill Depressions and Level Bumps
Poor grading, uneven settling, or the decomposition of buried tree stumps, logs, or roots can cause depressions and bumps. While you are dethatching your lawn, check for bumps and depressi… Read more »
Step 3. Adjust Your Soil’s pH
It is best to test your own soil, or obtain test results from a professional testing service, before applying any amendments. If your soil test shows that the soil pH is low, add lime according t… Read more »
Step 4. Add Nutrients
Use a slow-release fertilizer, and avoid putting down more fertilizer than you need. Adding too much nitrogen can cause rapid growth and a thinning of plant cell walls, which makes grass mor… Read more »
Step 5. Increase Organic Matter and Microbes
Applying fertilizer will not help if your soil does not contain an adequate population of microbes; you need billions of these microscopic organisms per handful of soil. Your soil must cont… Read more »
Step 6. Aerate Compacted Lawns
Aeration, also called core cultivation, is an important part of any lawn restoration program. Aeration allows grass roots to penetrate the soil deeply, helps fertilizer and organic matter… Read more »
Step 7. Prepare the Surface and Overseed It
Before you begin, choose the seed that is best for your geographical area and buy the amount you need to cover the size of your lawn. You have several tool options for spreading seed evenly and at… Read more »
