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Bring New Life to Your Lawn Through Renovation
Many people think of renovations being done solely to homes. Are you aware you can renovate your lawn as well? Most lawns will live long healthy lives when maintained properly but sometimes they will start to show traffic patterns, pet burns, alien grasses and pesky weeds that you simply can't get rid of. This is when it is time to renovate your lawn to bring new life to it.
Aerating Your Lawn
Lawns that are so compact that grass cannot grow needs to be aerated. Aerating is a method of loosening the soil so that moisture, fertilizers and nutrients can penetrate the dirt. Some lawns only need aerating in high traffic areas such as pathways and others need an extreme makeover. If high traffic areas are all that needs aerated, you can use a pitchfork to do so. It is best to moisten the soil first. Penetrate the soil at least two inches down. This is where the root systems are located. If a large area needs this process, you can rent an aerator from a local hardware store. This machine actually pulls tiny plugs of soil and grass out of the ground, loosening up the compaction.
Dethatching the Tumbleweeds in Your Lawn
Many people have so much thatch in their lawn that it resembles tumbleweeds from the old west rolling across the prairie. Dethatching is the process of actually removing the layer of dead grass, the stems, roots and clippings that may settle. You know you need to dethatch if your grass is slow in responding to watering, fertilizer and seeding. The thatch keeps water and fertilizer from properly soaking into the soil and keeps seeds from coming in contact with the soil. Grasses that commonly need dethatching are Bermuda, Zoysia, Bent grass and Kentucky Bluegrass. If you have one of these grasses, it is a good idea to dethatch in the spring and early fall.
When All Else Fails
When all else fails to bring new life to your lawn, you should completely renovate it. This requires the destruction of the existing grass, weeds and thatch and completely reseeding. This is done by either burning the existing grass or literally removing it shovel by shovel. Once you have removed the existing growth, lay down your fertilizer and till this into the soil. You will only want to till the top two inches of the soil.
Sow your seeds using a mechanical spreader. This will ensure even coverage of the seeds. Use a lawn roller to smooth out the soil leaving no mounds or low spots in the lawn. Cover the soil with a layer of straw or hay and water twice a day. Within a couple of weeks you should start seeing new growth appearing from beneath the covering. Do not rake away the covering, rather leave it in place and when the grass grows to about three inches, mow the grass using a bagger for your lawn mower. This will pick up all of the straw and keep the clippings from becoming thatch.
About the Author John Smith is an avid garden and lawn care enthusiast. John is also an avid blogger. You can read more of his articles at Poulan Equipment.
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