To tune up your lawn it is good to do the following. One or more of the following may be applicable. How the lawn should be repaired really has a lot to do with what is causing the problems.

These are some things that can help

1) Thatching- especially if you have cool weather grasses, moss instead of lawn, or a lot of dead material in your lawn. Experts recommend thatching cool weather grasses once every 3 years.  Thatching can be done one of three ways.  Either by using a power rake rental, using a dethatching rake, or else by adding a thatching blade to your lawn mower.

2) Aerating- this helps to soften hard soils. It also allows deepen penetration of air water and fertilizer into the soil. The main purpose of aeration is to allow roots to go deeper and eventually create thick, self-sustaining turf.

3) Regular mowing- never mow more than 1/3 of the blade at a time. The general rule is mow high, mow often. For more information see our article on mowing. Mow more frequently during peak growing seasons and less frequently during slow grow seasons.

4) Fertilizing often also helps maintain a thick healthy turf. With the advent of slow release fertilizers, one can usually get away with fertilizing every two months during periods of active growth. In the northwest, this would be about 4 times a year.

5) Top soil or topdressing is also a good idea, especially when the soil is lacking in organic material. It can also be very good to use when you are over seeding.

6) Over-seeding. With cool weather grasses this is best to do in the spring or in the fall. With warm weather grasses it is best to over seed in the late spring or early summer. If it never gets cold where you live, we can overseed any time the grass is actively growing. The most important thing to remember when overseeding is to water your lawn daily and keep the grass seed and seedlings wet. This will affect the germination rate of the new seed.

]]> http://lawnrepairdiy.com/lawn-repair-tune-up/feed/ 0 http://lawnrepairdiy.com/when-to-repair-or-replace-a-lawn/ http://lawnrepairdiy.com/when-to-repair-or-replace-a-lawn/#comments Wed, 09 Dec 2009 07:36:30 +0000 spencer http://lawnrepairdiy.com/?p=35 Many people ask me if they should replace or repair their lawn.  I  tell them it depends on what is wrong with it.

Bad grasses can ruin a lawn faster then most other things.  Yellow annuals or bent grass can take over a lawn completely in just a few years. You can repair these when the spots are small but after the 1st year or when the grasses have become much worse, it can be a lot harder to repair.

Weeds are usually fairly easier to fix.  Most can be eradicated with a few treatments of weed and feed.  If you lawn is all weeds, you may want to have it replaced.  A ball park figure your tearing out and replacing a lawn with new sod is roughly $2 per sq ft.  This could be more or less depending on where you live and how big of an area you are replacing. The cost or repair is a lot less.  (Subscribe to my blog and I will keep you up to date on some of these best and latest methods.)

If pests have damaged your lawn and the dead layer of thatch is more than 1/2 to 3/4, replace it.  Be sure to put a heavy dose of insectiscide on it befor you tear it out to prevent the pests from returning.  If damage is only in spots and non extensive, this lawn can be fixed.  Some insects leave your lawn and migrate away, some stay.  Some have suckers and some chew.  For insect the chew such as beetles and grubs, use a contact pesticide.  If they suck use a sestemic one. (spiders, fleas, and flys. )

Grasses can be repaired or replaced anytime lawns are actively growing. Cool weather grasses like to be dealt with in in the spring and fall.  (Less weeds in the fall.)  Warm grass lawns  like to replaced or repaired in the late spring and summer.

More to come on lawn repair!

A nice healthy lawn can be enjoyed by you, your family, and everyone else in the neighborhood. Having a well taken care of lawn can be fun to play on, good for the environment, and give your home and neighborhood increased aesthetic value. Each of the hundreds of thousands of blades of grass in your lawn contributes to a healthy lawn.

Fun Lawn Facts

625 square ft of lawn produces enough oxygen for one person. A 5000 sq ft lot produces enough oxygen for 8 people. (Scotts: Lawns: Guide to a beautiful lawn. Christians).

Lawns cut down on pollution and noise. 1 acre of grass can break down 100 of pounds of pollutants including “sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, hydrogen fluoride, nitrates and other greenhouse gases.” (Solve global warming, cap and trade, and urban growth boundaries from your own back lawn.)

Grasses provide air conditioning in the summer and heating in the winter. Even if the sidewalk gets over 100 degrees, grasses stay at regular temperature of 75 in the summer.

What are other benefits of a healthy lawn?

Healthy Lawns are beautiful. Just looking at a freshly cut and edged lawn can be as refreshing as looking at a work of art. (Make sure to get a lawn chair, a glass of lemonade, and enjoy the view.)

They are safe for kids and pets. If lawns where bad for you, they would come with a warning label. Pets and kids love the out doors. Inside things can be static and unchanging but outside the world is always changing. Plus there is a lot more to see and bark at.

They’re great for parties. Did you run out of room inside? Or, maybe you just didn’t want to keep the whole house spotless, well move the party outside and let everyone enjoy your lawn with you!

These lawns are also durable. People might complain about getting walked all over, but your lawns never do.

They are a good place for insects and microorganisms to live.

They prevent erosion. Grass roots thickly penetrate into soil and hold it together.

Lawns help to clean dust particles out of the air. (Jupiter has fierce storm because it does not have adequate amounts of lawn.)

Lawns help me get in my regular ½ hour of exercise each week!

If you have questions on where to by a rolling lawn aerator please visit our site.

Your lawn may also need to be repaired if it is damaged by lawn pests. See Pest control Virginia for more information.