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 do you get rid of ruts in your lawn?
Remove grass from the rut. If some grass is still intact on the surface of the rut, use a shovel to cut around the edges of the rut and remove the grass. Make sure to include the roots when you remove the grass, so you can easily return the patch of grass after fixing the rut.
How do I care for my newly renovated lawn?
Once everything's planted, you'll need to keep your renovated lawn moist. For the first week or so after planting, be sure the soil doesn't go dry. After the grass is up and growing, keep the area just moist (not soggy or dry).
How do I get rid of weeds in my lawn?
If more than half of your lawn is screaming for help, start from scratch. Spray the lawn with an herbicide containing glyphosate (be sure to follow all directions on the packaging). It kills all vegetation but allows new turf to re-establish quickly.
How do you level a dirt or dirt yard?
Level your grass or dirt yard with one of these simple methods and beautify your outdoor space. 1 1. Dethatch the Lawn. For the best results, dethatch the lawn where it's not level. Dethatching improves grass health and allows water and nutrients ... 2 2. Make a Leveling Mix. 3 3. Pour Your Mix. 4 4. Rake. 5 5. Water. More items
How do you fix a messed up yard?
4:4611:10How to FIX an UGLY Lawn with RESULTS - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou're just going to follow the directions on the start of fertilizer. Put it in spread it out andMoreYou're just going to follow the directions on the start of fertilizer. Put it in spread it out and this will help those seeds begin germination.
How do I restore my yard?
Understand the Issue. Looks can be deceiving. ... Prepare Your Lawn. Early spring and fall are ideal times for restoring "dead" lawns to life. ... Apply Lawn Booster. All-in-one Lawn Booster combines everything your "dead" lawn needs to spring to life: premium seed, fertilizer and soil enhancer. ... Water Consistently. ... Follow Through.
How do you fill a large depression in your yard?
There are manageable ways to deal with a dip or sunken spot. The general fix is to fill the area—good fill choices include soil, compost or rocks—and leave it slightly humped, to accommodate natural settling. Or, you can compact it by machine or with a hand tamper.
What can I replace grass with?
Grow a wildflower meadow. Turf mixes, like this one from Wildflower Turf, are an easy way to create a wildflower area in your garden. ... Consider ground cover plants. ... Lay pollinator-friendly sedum. ... Nurture a Chamomile lawn. ... Give moss a go. ... Go casual with gravel. ... Try bark chippings. ... Install faux grass.More items...•
Should I dig up my lawn and start again?
Killing a lawn and starting over can be a viable option if more than half of the space is occupied by bare spots and weeds. Look carefully at your lawn, and if more than half of it is grass, then consider taking steps to repair and improve your lawn rather than plow it under.
How do you remove grass and start over?
0:335:06How To Kill A Lawn and Start Over - Lawn Renovation Step 1 - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipFor cool season grass it kind of depends on your climate. But but you want to be planting somewhereMoreFor cool season grass it kind of depends on your climate. But but you want to be planting somewhere around ten weeks before your first frost date or average prostate.
How do I reseed my lawn this old house?
0:033:59How to Reseed a Lawn | This Old House - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipNow kevin the key is to expose and loosen the soil in a small yard with small patches of dead grassMoreNow kevin the key is to expose and loosen the soil in a small yard with small patches of dead grass you could use this dethatching rake you simply. Work it through pull out all the dead grass.
What to do after tree stump removal?
After the tree stump removal process, you’re left with a hole with a pile of wood chips. To even out your lawn, you should fill the hole with soil. Here are a few things you should take after the tree stump removal to get rid of the stump scar. Clean Up the Aftermath. After the tree stump removal, you’ll need to remove the wood shavings, twigs, ...
How to get seeds out of a bag?
Water the Soil. Water the soil thoroughly. Although topsoil is already moist when removed from the bag, it isn’t enough to give the seeds a chance to sprout. Watering helps the seeds settle into the hole and fill the spaces around the hole entirely. Don’t overwater the seeds for it will wash them away.
Can you fill a tree with soil?
Once done, homeowners prefer to fill it with soil. The chipping of trees is way more inexpensive and convenient than the total cost of removal, pruning, or stump grinding. Although, after the process, you’ll be left with all the wood chips and will have to figure out what to do with them.
Can you use wood chips as mulch?
Use Wood Chips as Mulch. Ideally, you can use wood chips as organic mulch for your plants. With proper application, mulch prevents weed growth, retains water in your soil, and regulates soil temperature. If you have mulch on your soils that’s thinning, rep lenish it.
What happens to lawns during construction?
From roof replacements to retaining wall installation, moving heavy equipment into specific locations that damage the grass is sometimes necessary.
Why do you need grass seed?
Your grass seed will come with specific instructions to follow. It also helps to protect the area from bird harvesting to ensure you get a lovely green lawn instead of patchy growth.
How long does it take for a muddy rut to heal?
Most muddy ruts are fully repaired after two to three weeks when following these steps.
Can you replant sod after digging it out?
Once you have the rut filled with new soil, it is time to replant the sod you dug out if it is in good condition. If not, you’ll need to install new squares to finish the repair.
Can you raise the soil after a rut?
When you have a shallow rut, you can simply raise the soil after using the spade to finish repairing the damaged lawn. A larger or deeper area requires more correction.
Can you drive heavy equipment over muddy lawn?
That starts by not driving heavy equipment over soft or muddy sections of the lawn. If you cannot use lightweight tools or vehicles, consider unloading at the driveway.
Can mud ruts be in rain?
Although the goal is to limit the damage as much as possible, mud ruts are always possible when living in a rainy climate.
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.
What to do if grass is damaged?
If the grass has been damaged, you’ll need to sow new grass seeds. Make sure to use the same seed as what’s already been sown in the lawn to ensure there’s not a patch of strange-looking grass in your customer’s lawn.
How to fix a rut in the ground?
Following are two easy steps for best fixing shallow ruts: 1. Loosen the soil. To loosen the soil of a shallow rut, find the edge of the rut and push a spade fork into the soil at a 45-degree angle. Since it’s 1-2 inches deep, you shouldn’t need to dig far. 2.
How deep should a rut be?
Ruts are basically soil that’s been compacted and needs to be loosened. They need to be fixed differently depending on their size–ruts 1-2 inches deep should be handled differently than ruts of 3-4 inches or deeper.
How deep are ruts in lawn?
Here’s how to fix deep ruts in a customer’s lawn. Because there’s more damage than a shallow rut, deep ruts (3-4 inches deep or more) are harder to deal with and take more time to fix. Here are the basics for how to fix deep ruts in your customer’s yard: 1. Remove grass from the rut.
How to fill a rut in a grassy area?
Since the rut is deep, filling it in with soil will most likely be necessary. For this, you’ll want to mix soil with equal amounts of sand or compost. This mixture makes it easier for grass to take root and thrive.
Is landscape damage uncommon?
Lawn and landscape damage, unfortunately, isn’t uncommon during roof replacements and construction projects. However, it’s something that a professional contractor will want to learn to avoid for several reasons.
Can you put a roll off dumpster on your lawn?
Don’t place roll-off dumpsters on the lawn. Over time and use, a roll-off dumpster may sink into a yard. Removing a full roll-off dumpster from a customer’s lawn will most likely create deep ruts, not just from the dumpster but from the equipment pulling it out as well.
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 Causes an Uneven Yard?
There are many reasons a yard can become uneven. Some occur naturally, while others are caused by humans and animals:
What to do if your lawn is bumpy?
If you've got a bumpy lawn, it could be that you've got something buried in your yard. Now, you can just add topsoil and reseed to even the whole thing out, but if it continues to decay or settle, you'll have to do it again and again.
How to fill a depression in a house?
Apply enough topsoil or leveling mix to fill the depression. Water gently to remove air pockets and settle the area. You'll notice the volume reduces, lowering the fill level. That's okay!
Why do you dethatch grass?
For the best results, dethatch the lawn where it's not level. Dethatching improves grass health and allows water and nutrients to reach the roots. If you want to save yourself some time, you can always hire a local dethatching service .
How to keep dogs off the grass?
You can also reserve an out-of-the-way patch of dirt for him to exercise his need to dig. Alternatively, you could install a sandpit and direct the dog to dig there instead.
How to spread top dressing?
Rake over the top dressing, then take a stiff brush and sweep across the area. Raking spreads the mix over the space evenly, and brushing forces the mix down through the grass to the dirt.
Is it dangerous to have an uneven lawn?
An uneven yard looks unsightly and can even be dangerous: one of the kids can take a tumble as they run across the lawn, or you're carrying a snack tray, step into a depression, and cookies go flying.
