How to Renovate Your Lawn Like a Pro

Just like everything else, your lawn needs to be renovated and maintained from time to time. Lawn renovation works towards improving your existing conditions without killing or removing existing vegetation. You need to have some grass to work with in order to create a new healthy lawn. Hiring a pro to renovate your lawn is pricey, and you might not have it in your budget.

Don’t worry! Figuring out how to renovate your lawn like a pro just takes a lot of elbow grease and patience.

6 Steps to Renovate Your Lawn

1.   Figure Out Your Soil’s Needs

The first thing you want to do is perform a soil test. Call your county extension office. They offer soil testing and will send you the equipment necessary. Most soil tests let you know your soil’s pH levels, along with the nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium levels. These numbers help you understand where your soil is lacking, so you can provide the correct amendments and fertilizers later.

2.   Do You Have the Right Equipment?

Now is the time to make sure you have all the equipment necessary for lawn success. Look at your lawn mower. If you have a small lawn, a push-mower will perform the job, but someone with a large lawn needs a riding mower to get the job done. Do you want to rent or purchase the equipment needed for core aeration? Think about fertilizing and seed spreading. You can grab a seed spreader to make the job easier. Don’t forget a good weed eater to get the small spots.

3.   Remove Debris From Your Lawn

Before you do anything else, it’s time to remove the debris from your lawn. You can’t do anything if your lawn is covered in dead and dying grass. You can either use a dethatching rake or get an attachment for the back of your lawn mower. Thatch prevents water, air, and sun from reaching the soil and roots. It can suffocate your lawn and stop it from getting all of the nutrients needed to grow and thrive.

4.   Spray Weed Control

Are weeds choking your lawn? If so, it’s time to give those weeds the boot. Spray a broadleaf weed species that will knock out dandelions, clovers, ground ivy, and more that might be present in your lawn. According to respectable lawn care professional, you need to check to determine the type of weeds in your lawn so that you can pick the right herbicide. Plan it well because broadleaf weed control is best done well in advance of the optimum time of seeding.

5.   Core Aeration Time

Core aeration is your lawn’s best friend for success. Rent a core aerator or split the cost with a friend. It makes the job easier than using a manual aerator. Aeration removes cores of soil from the ground. When your soil is compacted, aeration helps to improve the drainage, allowing water to seep into the ground and reach the roots. The plugs of soil that are removed allow air to circulate better, encouraging the roots to expand and grow. Deeper roots increase the health and density of your yard.

6.   Use Soil Amendments and Lay Grass Seed

Now that you aerated the soil, it’s time to add soil amendments and fertilizer. The nutrients will be able to reach the root system. It’s time to go back to the soil test you performed in the beginning and look at what nutrients your grass really needs. Nitrogen is almost always needed. One easy way to add nitrogen is by leaving your grass clippings on your lawn instead of collecting them. Grass clippings decompose fast, providing free nitrogen to your lawn. Adding compost is a good idea as well because it has so many different nutrients. After soil amendments, you get to apply grass seed! Always check for the right grass seed for your area. Apply the seed based on the instructions on your bag. More isn’t a good idea. You don’t want to overcrowd your seeds. Rake the seeds into the soil.

7.   Water Often Then Mow

Lawns don’t grow without the proper watering. The right temperatures and water are needed for grass seeds to germinate. You must keep your grass seeds moist until the seeds germinate and establish. After that, water regularly, especially if it’s hot and dry outside. Make sure you watch the height of your lawn. When your grass is three inches tall, it’s time for the first mowing. Keep your blade high because you should never remove more than one-third of the grass at a time. Also, sharpen the blades of your mower beforehand. A dull blade shreds the grass or rips out the seedlings. Shredded grass blades can turn brown and die, which is the last thing you want after you spent all that time tending to your grass. Renovating your lawn takes time and work, but you don’t need a professional. All you need is a few times, extra time, and hard work, and a future green grass is in your future.

If you think that you don’t have enough time to maintain your lawn than you should weight the pros and cons of artificial and natural lawns and get yourself an artificial lawn that doesn’t require maintenance.