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!
Is your lawn a cut above the rest? The best way to drive your neighbors green with envy is to have healthier and greener lawn. To really make them change color, mow your lawn a half an inch higher than theirs and mow it more often. There are two mistakes most people make and some even do both. Most people mow their lawn to either too short or they don’t mow it very often.
A lot of people mow short so they won’t have to mow as often. Mowing a lawn to short is detrimental for two reasons. First, roots don’t grow very well when the grass is to short and second the grass can get burned or dried out very easily. Mowing the grass to short can also make it appear yellow. A short lawn will also respond slower to fertilizers.
Mowing a lawn infrequently allows the grass to get to long. Long grasses expound more energy on shoot and less on roots. In addition grass is less dense because each plant takes up more room. When you do mow the lawn short, the ending result is a lawn that looks sparse or patches and this is a perfect invitation for weeds.
Most grasses need to be mowed at a height of between 2 and 3 inches. (nearly 80 percent of lawns.) The generally rule with mowing is mow high and mow often. Never mow more then 1/3 of the blade at a time. Sometimes this may require you to mow twice a week, but following this rule is one of the best ways to keep your lawn and prevent weeds from invading.
Additional tips:
For cool weather grasses, Leave them a little longer in the summer. These may help your lawn retain moisture.
Another tip is to sharpen your mower and change the oil at least once a year. Having a sharp blade helps you prevent lawn diseases and change your oil helps your engine run longer. Some older engines should be checked for oil every time they are used. We suggest once a month.
Another tip is to mulch and not bag clippings on the lawn. Since clippings are 95% water they break down quickly and can serve to fertilize you lawn. If you are cutting more than 1/3 of the blade, always bag. This is why we suggest mowing more often, because doing this might make mowing a lot faster.
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