Does your lawn look like a checkerboard with patches of healthy green grass and other areas of dead and/or dying grass? Unfortunately, this is an all-too-common problem faced by homeowners.
Even if your lawn was initially vibrant and healthy, it may become “patchy” over time. Such problems are often caused by neglect, stress, fluctuating temperatures, and even disease. You can fix a patchy lawn, however, by following some basic steps.
Eliminate The Weeds
Excessive weed growth may be causing or at least contributing to your patchy lawn. This is due to the fact that weeds sap valuable nutrients from the soil – nutrients that would otherwise be consumed by grass.
If you haven’t done so already, go around your lawn and pull up any weeds you come across. Ideally, you should pull them up by the roots so they don’t grow back; otherwise, you’ll find yourself in the very same position just a week or two later.
Prep The Patchy Areas
If grass isn’t growing in a particular part of your yard, it’s usually because the topsoil is either too hard or doesn’t contain the right amount and/or ratio of nutrients. To resolve this issue, spread out some good topsoil across the patchy areas.
Depending on the size of your lawn, a couple of bags from the local plant nursery should suffice. If your yard is large, however, you may want to order a truckload of topsoil.
Lay Out The Seed
Once you’ve conditioned the patchy areas with fresh topsoil, it’s time to get to work by adding new seeds. Keep in mind that your geographic location and time of year will dictate the best seeds for your lawn.
When in doubt, ask someone at a nearby plant nursery for help. They can guide you on choosing the best seeds for your particular lawn.
Before spreading the seeds, go through and aerate your lawn with metal spikes. This will create hundreds of small holes in which water and seeds will enter. After the aeration is complete, spread the seeds out in an even, consistent manner.
Watch for Rain
In the next few days keep an eye on the local forecast. Hopefully, mother nature will be kind by offering your yard some rain.
If it doesn’t rain within a day or two, you may need to use a sprinkler to help moisturize the seeds and soil. Just remember to check with your local county or city to determine whether or not a water ban is in place.
For more information see our recent blog post about getting new grass to grow in your yard.
The Woodsman Company offers tree planting, tree pruning and shrub trimming, tree removal and stump grinding as well as a tree wellness program.
If we can help with any of your tree care needs give us a call at 512-846-2535 or 512-940-0799 or
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