Lawn Repair
Planting a new lawn is not difficult; most homeowners can do a good job. If your site requires major alternation, sometimes is better to call someone who has more equipment, experience, and expertise.
Lawn establishment – Preparing the soil base
- Site should be free of weeds
- Contour and slope of a lawn will be determined by fixed installations such as foundations, driveways, walks and streets
- The lawn grade should slope away from the foundations
- Rocks and debris should be removed before and after soil is worked
- Work soil over to a depth of 3-6 inches
- Periodic soaking and drying will enable the soil to settle naturally
- Level the lawn by scraping soil from high spots and filling in holes and depressions
- Prior to seeding or sodding, the soil should receive a shallow cultivation
- The bed should be firm, but not packed
Seeding
- Initiating a lawn through the introduction of plant units that are capable of developing into other such plants
- Accurate application of seed is essential for uniform density and prevention of waste
- Seed should be applied using a drop spreader
- Seed should be mixed into the top 1/4 inch of soil by lightly dragging the back of a garden rake over the seeded area
- When covering seed on a slope, work across the sloping ground, as this will help prevent washing out of seed
- If available, a thin uniform mulch cover will conserve moisture and reduce seed loss due to wind, water and birds
- Clean straw, shredded bark, wood shavings or peat are all acceptable mulching materials
- Seed bed should be kept moist for 21 days
- Avoid over-watering the seed bed
Note: Establishing a lawn in this manner helps prevent thatch from becoming a problem
Advantages
- seeding is an excellent way to establish a desirable stand of turf by selecting a suitable mix of grass types for the situation
- less expensive than turfing
Disadvantages
- seed may take 4-6 weeks to establish an acceptable stand of turf
- during this delay, weeds may infest the area
Overseeding
- overseeding will reclaim a neglected or ravaged lawn
- overseeding is introducing a desirable grass species into a thin lawn
Preparing the Overseed Bed
- turf should be cut to a height of 2 inches
- area must then be raked vigorously with a garden rake or power brush
- if possible, mechanical core aeration should be performed to expose the soil surface
- seed can be distributed with a broadcast or drop spreader
- water as needed to keep area moist for 21 days