When your lawn is thin, patchy or yellowing – should you just start over? Instead of re-seeding, or replacing your lawn with sod or groundcover, try a few steps to bring your turf back from the brink.
- Patch Bare Spots: When patching a bare spot, you want to create good soil conditions that will prevent new seeds from drying out or being eaten by birds. Prep the area by raking away dead or dying grass. Compacting the soil makes it hard for air, water and sunlight to reach new seeds. Loosen the soil to about 1". Spread the seed, fertilize, and keep the soil moist. Water everyday until the grass is 2" tall. Grass seed spot repair and starter fertilizer products are helpful for this step.
- Overseed Thin Turf: Spring and fall are the best times to overseed. Mow the lawn on the shortest setting, then using a lawn spreader, spread weed free seed over the entire lawn followed by a starter fertilizer. Make sure the seed and fertilizer are best for the sun, shade and activity requirements of your lawn. Water the lawn generously. The best time to do this is early to mid Spring.
- Fertilize: Fertilizing promotes healthy roots, thicker turf that can crowd out weeds, and a lawn that is resistant to stressors like heat waves or droughts.
- When to Fertilize: Start fertilizing mid to late Spring with a weed and feed fertilizer or use a crab grass preventing product. Use lawn food every 4-6 weeks in the summer. The final Fall feeding is the most important.
For more Step-by-steps and advice, visit Ace Hardware's Tips & Advice
Published: 3/11/2020
