
Eight Steps for One Great-Looking Lawn Restoration
- Get to the Root of the Matter. Start by dethatching your yard. ...
- Be On the Straight and Level. All those bumps and divots in your yard can make you mad — or even twist an ankle. ...
- Build Good Chemistry. Want your yard to love you back? You need good chemistry. Test your soil’s PH levels. ...
- Feed It. Fertilizer does wonders for starving yards. To create a healthy lawn, use a slow-release fertilizer.
- Keep Your Invisible Friends Happy. Your yard is a living, breathing community filled with billions of microbes and microscopic organisms per handful of soil.
- Air it Out. Some yards are so starved for attention and oxygen, you just need to literally poke them to make them feel alive again.
- Spread Some Grass Seed. Use your hands or a broadcast spreader to spread grass seed throughout your lawn. Want more power? ...
- Show Some Love. Your newly restored yard needs appropriate care. ...
How to fix a bad lawn?
Late Spring, Early summer: Measure the Right Amount of Water
- Set a cake pan halfway between your sprinkler and the edge of the spray pattern.
- Watch your clock to see how long it takes the sprinkler to fill the pan with 3/8 inches of water.
- Water for that amount of time three times a week, unless it rains.
- Increase from 3/8 inch to 1/2 inch when the daytime temperatures are above 80 degrees F.
How do you restore a lawn?
- Poor lawn preparation and seeding procedures
- Laxity in regular lawn maintenance practices such as mowing, watering, weeding and fertilizer application
- Presence of pests and diseases in your lawn
- The type of lawn grass that you have planted and care given
How to restart a lawn?
To measure the pH level of your soil:
- Dig a tiny hole in the ground and pour distilled water (neutral pH) in it.
- Wait for a minute, then stick your test strip in the water.
- Wait for the results.
How to rejuvenate a lawn?
Use your real name, and back up your claims. Keep it local and relevant. Make sure your replies stay on topic. Review the Patch Community Guidelines.

How do you repair an entire lawn?
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How do you repair badly damaged grass?
0:322:14How To Repair A Lawn - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipIt's about three good handfuls of grass seed in with some top dressing material that's about tenMoreIt's about three good handfuls of grass seed in with some top dressing material that's about ten kilos of top dressing material.
Can you just sprinkle grass seed on lawn?
Can you just sprinkle grass seed on top of your existing lawn? While it's possible to simply sow the new grass seed over your existing lawn, taking the time to prepare your lawn beforehand will increase the likelihood of seed germination and improve your end result.
How do I start a new lawn from old grass?
How to Replant a LawnClear the area. Kill weeds and any remaining poor-looking grass with a non-selective herbicide about 2 weeks before you want to seed your lawn. ... Prep for success. ... Select your grass seed. ... Spread your grass seed. ... Feed for growth. ... Water daily.
What to do about weeds in my lawn?
You can help avoid the issue in the first place by maintaining the overall health of your grass. To do that, follow these mowing tips, give your lawn just the right amount of water, and fertilize your grass regularly. If weed problems show up anyway, use Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed3 * to feed grass while controlling weeds, or use Scotts® Spot Weed Control for Lawns if you have just a few to manage.
Why is there brown stuff on my lawn?
There are ugly brown spots on my lawn. Okay, to be honest, this one’s a little more complicated, because there are several things that could be causing the spots. Possible culprits range from grubs or fungus to foot traffic, weed dieback, and dog urine.
What does it mean when your lawn is yellow?
(Don’t worry—it happens to the best of us.) When you walk back and forth with your spreader, be sure to slightly overlap each pass to ensure full coverage. Strips of grass that don’t receive fertilizer can appear yellow in contrast to all of the lush, new, green grass growth next to it. So, you’ll just need to tune up your application technique to make sure all of your lawn is green and growing.
What is the best spreader for small lawns?
Need a spreader? The easy-to-use Scotts® Whirl™ Hand-Powered Spread er is ideal for small lawns, while the Scotts® Elite Spreader is an excellent choice for large yards.
What causes a dog to have brown spots in the yard?
Check out section 4 below to find out what to do. Spots caused by dog urine tend to have brown centers with green outer rings.
Do you have to work to have a beautiful lawn?
A gorgeous lawn doesn’t have to require tons of work. Take care of your lawn the best you can, identify problems before they get out of hand, and apply one of these easy fixes when you need to. The result? A lush green oasis you’re going to love spending time in.
Is it important to have a perfect lawn?
While, admittedly, there are more important things in life than having the perfect lawn, working toward that goal can give you a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction—and provide a personal oasis for you and your family. To get there, you may need to face down a few common lawn problems. Don’t sweat it. Chances are, there’s an easy fix.
How to repair a lawn that has been patched with seed?
Spread a thin layer of topsoil or straw over the lawn repair area that you've just patched with seed. This protects the seed and, later, the sprouts from wind or getting washed away. More importantly, by covering the soil, it reduces moisture loss. A constant supply of moisture is the key to good germination for a repaired lawn.
Why is my lawn bare?
One of the most important parts of lawn repair is figuring out what has caused the problem. Sometimes an accident, such as a fertilizer spill, creates a bare spot in the lawn. Or there could be a plant disease, destructive insects, or competition for light and moisture from overgrown neighboring plants.
How to grow grass seed in a garden?
Otherwise, use a mixture of grasses appropriate for your region. Cover seeds with a light sprinkling of topsoil or a thin layer of compost. Then, lightly water the area to help the seeds germinate.
How to fix dead grass?
Once the herbicide has had a few days to work, mow the dead turf as short as you can. It may seem counter-intuitive to totally scalp your lawn to repair it, but this low mowing will keep the dead plants from shading your new lawn too much, while leaving the remains of their roots intact to prevent erosion until fresh grass can grow.
How to keep grass at the height you want it?
Be sure the mower blade is sharp the first time you mow; a dull blade could rip the seedlings right out of the ground. Then mow as you normally would to keep the grass at the height you want it. For the health of your turf, don't cut off more than a third of the leaf length during any one mowing.
Can you replace sun loving grass with shade?
But if your lawn is suffering because there's too much shade in parts of your yard, you'd be better off replacing sun-loving grass in those areas with low-maintenance ground covers that thrive in shade instead.
What to do if grass is stressed?
If your grass appears stressed, you may benefit from a soil test. Your soil could have a chronic issue, like an incorrect soil pH that’s left it too acidic or too alkaline, or missing nutrients like nitrogen. Send a soil sample to your local cooperative extension, and they can assess any issues in your soil and recommend amendments to rectify them.
Why is my lawn compacted?
If your lawn experiences a lot of foot traffic, your soil may become compacted—meaning that it’s packed too den sely, and the grassroots can’t access the water, air, and nutrients they need. You can improve your turf’s health by aerating, using a machine that punctures many tiny holes in your lawn to assist with soil drainage, air circulation, and nutrient absorption.
What is thatch in lawn?
Thatch is the layer of decomposing organic material that accumulates between the soil and grass blades. A small layer of thatch won’t harm your lawn, it will actually protect the grassroots. But if the thatch layer gets thick enough to create a dense mat—over ½ an inch thick—it can choke your grass, blocking the flow of air, water, and nutrients. Use a dethatching rake to break up the excessive thatch, leaving a thin layer for insulation.
What is Trugreen lawn care?
Lawn care provider TruGreen offers five different annual plans and a variety of a la carte services so homeowners can customize their care for their lawn’s unique needs. Highly trained lawn care specialists can amend your soil, fertilize, aerate, and more to ensure that your lawn grows healthy, thick, and green. To get a free quote from TruGreen, call 866-817-2287 or fill out this form.
Why patch with sod?
This method yields instant gratification, because patching with sod is introducing new, grown, lush grass. It’s particularly convenient if you have multiple bare spots, and don’t want to overseed again and again. Keep in mind that sod costs significantly more than seed.
How long does it take for grass to grow?
It may take up to eight weeks, depending on the grass type you selected, for the new grass to blend in fully with the rest of your lawn. If you need to mow the rest of your lawn before then, be careful to avoid the newly seeded grass.
How to get a free quote from TruGreen?
To get a free quote from TruGreen, call 866-817-2287 or fill out this form.
