How to get your lawn ready this spring
There is no better feeling than sitting outside on the patio sipping a cup of tea under your outdoor solar lighting with a full, lush green lawn . The feeling of calmness and peace will always take over since a healthy, thriving yard is beauty to the eyes and helps you connect with your environment. Unfortunately, sometimes bare spots can ruin your lawn, and weeds may dominate the grass, leaving you disappointed and frustrated every time you look at your landscape. What happens eventually is that your source of pride becomes an eyesore.
When your lawn has become less lush, overseeding is the solution to choking bare patches on your yard. Using the right tools, knowledge of the climate, and smart timing, you can use overseeding to grow thick grass and choke weeds. Overseeding means adding grass seeds to the topsoil of the lawn without turning the soil. Some yards require overseeding after a few years, while others may need it yearly to ensure the grass is bright and full.
You will require tools such as a rake, fertilizer and seed spreader, and a lawn mower to achieve a verdant yard. When you have the right kind of grass seeds and the timing is right, overseeding should restore your yard, and you will have the chance to go back to spending the day relaxing in your yard. So, how can you maintain your beautiful lawn?
Mow and Rake the Yard
You must ensure that the grass seeds will be in contact with the topsoil for overseeding to be effective. Therefore, you must begin by mowing the yard so that the grass seeds will reach the soil. You should ensure that you collect the clippings after mowing so that they do not prevent contact between the soil and seeds.
Once mowing is complete, rake the whole yard and remove sticks, rocks, dead grass, or other debris. Raking will eliminate any possible barrier, loosen the soil for seeding, and allow germination.
Improve the Soil
It is important to note that soil improvement is not the same as fertilizers since amendments have particular chemical compositions and nutrients for a type of soil. If you intend to use pH increasers, amendments such as poultry manure, wood ash, and lime would work for particular plants. If you intend to acidity to soil, then amendments such as sulfur should work. You can add compost in sandy soil and peat moss in clay soil to amend the landscape conditions and boost nutrients.
You can also take soil tests to better understand your yard's pH and soil type. Soil tests can help you identify the improvements you require to have your grass greening and growing healthy. You do not require any amendments if your soil is neutral and fertile.
Spread the Grass Seeds
When you begin overseeding, you must ensure that you know your climate at the particular time and the kind of grass you will use to enable the healthy growth of grass. Pick seeds designed for your local climate that complement the grass. Identify whether you need warm or cool-season grasses that can resist common pests, drought, and disease.
Begin the overseeding process by loading grass seeds into a spreader and placing around 16 seeds in a square inch of space. The thickness of your lawn will determine the seed density; therefore, you may require fewer seeds for some yards. You can spread the seeds by hand in case you have no spreader.
Add Fertilizer
You can use a fertilizer spreader to scatter the fertilizer to the edges of the lawn. To cater to your landscape, you can use fertilizer spreaders such as handheld, drop, broadcast, liquid, and snap spreaders. If your yard is small, a handheld spreader would be a practical tool, while a broadcast spreader would be practical for larger yards.
You can always find services for lawn maintenance close by your area to aid in choosing the best fertilizer for your property. Seeking professional advice will ensure you get value for money and your overseeding process becomes easy. Trusted lawn care service will give you better information and assessment concerning your yard; therefore, appropriate tools and products will be used to ease everything.
When you spread fertilizer, use a mowing pattern, moving in rows until the yard is covered. You can look at your fertilizer type and lawn size to know what spreader you require. Sometimes you may use the same spreader to spread fertilizer and grass seeds.
Water the Yard
You need to take time to water your yard after fertilizing. Evaporation happens mostly in the evening and afternoon, so it is better to water during morning hours to maximize the intake of water. Do not overwater your yard since the seeds will not germinate, they will be washed away, or weed and fungus will develop rapidly, encouraging the growth of thatches everywhere. Reduce watering time if the ground is spongy or puddles have formed.
Conclusion
If your lawn has thatch, you may need to aerate and dethatch it before spreading grass seeds. Thatch prevents the seeds' roots from holding, but once you aerate, the holes in the soil will allow new grass to obtain oxygen, water, and nutrients. The above steps should guide you in restoring your yard and eventually give you a reason to smile!
