Improving the Health of Your Lawn
Let’s face it: when you live in the suburbs, a healthy, well-kept lawn is a must. Before anyone even steps into your house, it’s your front lawn that makes the first impression of your hom… Read more »
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 bot… 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… 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… 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 depress… Read more »
Step 3. Adjust Your Soil’s pH
It is best to test your own soil… Read more », 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
Step 4. Add Nutrients
Use a slow-release fertilizer… Read more », 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 mo
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 con… Read more »
Step 6. Aerate Compacted Lawns
Aeration… Read more », 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
