Do you have an older lawn that is showing signs of wear and tear? Constantly be stepped on by people and pets, pets and their pesky urinating, weeds, foreign grasses, and the elements all contribute to the breakdown of a perfectly good lawn. But before you decide on a complete lawn replacement with sod, make sure your old lawn’s problems can’t be resolved with these lawn repair methods. You may be able to save hundreds of dollars and hours of renovating!
Common Signs that it’s Time for Lawn Repair & Renovation
- Traffic areas don’t grow grass any more.
- Your lawn is overrun with weeds.
- Other grass species are invading your lawn.
- Your lawn has bare spots where no grass grows.
- Little or no maintenance has been given to your lawn over several years.
Depending on what signs your lawn are showing you, one or a combination of these following methods can be used to help repair and/or replace your lawn.:
Bringing Dead Spots Back to Life – The first step in renovating bare spots on your lawn is to determine what caused them to turn bare. Are the spots in areas where your kids play or there is high traffic? Perhaps you accidentally spilled fertilizer. Have you seen any pets urinating in those areas? However, if spots seem to appear for no logical reason, then you could have a problem with pests or diseases (call Park Avenue Turf for a lawn analysis). When its time to make those spots go, you have two options: replant with seeds, or patch with sod. For help with either, contact Park Avenue Turf for more information.
Aerating – In several years, you might want to rent a power rake to remove “thatch” and a power aerator that will break up compacted soil and allow water and air to enter freely. The machine slices and removes cones from your lawns at intervals, and relieves “thatching” problems from grass cuttings that choke the lawn.
Slippage is sometimes observable after a heavy watering. If the sod starts to slip on an incline, drive small wooden pegs into the top edge of each piece about every third row. This ought to hold until the root growth is established.
When sod is laid around a flower bed, tree or other border, use a linoleum or paring knife to trim and smooth the ends to the desired shape or angle.
Dethatching – Does your lawn seem to grow unusually slow in response to waterings, fertilizing, and reseeding? Then you lawn may need dethatching. the process of removing thatch from your lawn. Thatch, a layer of grass stems, clippings and debris that accumulate over time and buildup to a point when it needs removing or “dethatching”. If your lawn has thatch buildup or the lawn has never been aeratedis, or you have invading grasses such as bermuda grass, then try dethatching along with regular lawn maintenance.
Leveling Bumps and Depressions – New lawns that have bumps and depressions may need some more love from your lawn roller. Old lawns with unsightly bumps, lumps, and dips may need extra attention. Poor settling, poor planting and grading, and/or root and wood decomposed below the lawn surface can turn a once perfect lawn into ankle twisting terrain. Here’s how to level your lawn:
- Leveling Bumps: To level bumps, simply take a shovel and dig around three sides of the bump about 3-5 inches deep. Roll back the turf, and remove any excess soil below the top-soil. Once enough soil has been removed to level the area with the lawn, simply roll-back the turf and fill-in any seams with excess soil and/or potting soil. Water the area thoroughly, and press the turf back into place. Continue to repeat the waterings until the area has fully-recovered from the work.
- Leveling Depressions: To level depressions, simply take a shovel and dig around three sides of the depression about 3-5 inches deep. Roll back the turf, and add a mixture of soil, humus, and fertilizer necessary to raise the level of the depression. Once enough soil has been added to level the area with the lawn, simply roll-back the turf and fill-in any seams with excess soil and/or potting soil. Water the area thoroughly, and press the turf back into place. Continue to repeat the waterings until the area has fully-recovered from the work.
Total Renovation – When your lawn isn’t responding to any lawn repair methods, it may be time for total lawn renovation. The process may be big but its not complicated, especially not when you have Park Avenue Turf on your side. The following lawn renovating steps will guide you through the process. If you need further help with renovating your lawn and live between Sacramento and Salinas, contact your local lawn experts at Park Avenue Turf.
- Start off by killing and removing old grass and weeds. This will keep problems from rooting in your new lawn. Use a herbicide such as Roundup or glyphosate. Following the product directions, apply the herbicide and repeat over a few days to ensure all weeds and old grass are killed. Most herbicides will take a few weeks to fully work so make sure you plan accordingly.
- Set the renovation date. Renovate during the warm-season, spring or early summer as this is the best time to grow new grass. However, warm-season grasses are planted in the late-spring and most cool-season grasses are planted in the early fall. So make sure you renovate your lawn when planting time is best!
- Dethatch your lawn to loosen-up the soil, and remove the old grass and weeds then aerate the soil to help loosen it up and better prepare it for planting and watering. Smooth-out the surface with a rake to remove and rocks and excess debris.
- Once your soil is ready, apply your seeds/sod, fertilizer, and plant your new lawn.
- Caring for your new lawn: Now that you have completed your planting, it is time to make sure that your new lawn is watered and cared for properly to insure its new growth.
Contact Park Avenue Turf for more lawn repair and maintenance tips!