Seeding,   sodding,   fertilizing,   pruning,   mulches,   top soil,   spring & fall cleanups,   landscape design & hardscaping,   new lawn,   unwanted plants,   compost.   Landscape - Grass

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A.  General Information
         If you are putting in a completely new lawn or just maintaining your existing lawn, you should always pay attention to the factors that affect the way your grass will grow. You need to think about how much sun and shade the grass will be getting. Consider poor drainage, wind, and heat stress when picking varieties of grass. Think about how much maintenance you can handle; low, medium, or high. Think about the cost of everything. A low-maintenance lawn is better for a smaller cost. If you want your lawn to be thicker, greener, more fine bladed, and more vigorous and stress tolerant, the solution is to reseed it with new, improved variety. You don't exactly have to dig up your old lawn, just overseed the existing grass with new seeds. First you have to analyze the condition of your current lawn. If it has less than 50 percent good grass, the best thing to do is remove it all and start over. But, if more than 50 percent is strong, overseeding is a good option. Try to figure out what made the existing grass weak; shade, drought, insects? Then you can pick the kind of grass that prevents those problems. Now, pick the right time for germination. Fall is best for cool-season turfgrasses and spring is best for warm-season grasses.

B.  Prepare for a Completely New Lawn
         It is important to make sure the seeds can make contact with the soil. Start by mowing the lawn as short as possible. Rake up the clippings, then mow and rake again. Then, take a metal garden rake and scratch the soil vigorously. Since you are not sowing into bare ground, you have to sow seed at two to three times the amount recommended on the package. Then cover the seed with a ¼- to ½- inch layer of topsoil, like finely ground compost. Water daily until the seed germinates. Let the new seedlings grow to the maximum cutting height, then mow, taking off no more than one-third of their height.

C.  How to Patch Bare Areas with Seed
         It is important to make sure the seeds can make contact with the soil. Start by mowing the lawn as short as possible. Rake up the clippings, then mow and rake again. Then, take a metal garden rake and scratch the soil vigorously. Since you're not sowing into bare ground, you have to sow seed at two to three times the amount recommended on the package. Then cover the seed with a ¼- to ½- inch layer of topsoil, like finely ground compost. Water daily until the seed germinates. Let the new seedlings grow to the maximum cutting height, then mow, taking off no more than one-third of their height.

D.  How to Patch Bare Areas with Sod
         If most of your lawn is in good condition, but there are just a few bad spots, like a weedy patch or a bare area, you can just patch that area with sod. First of all, find out what the underlying problem is so it doesn't happen again. A weedy patch may be from soil compaction. Thin areas could be from shade, poor drainage, or lack of regular feeding. Heavy traffic or frequent use makes bare areas. A patch of yellow might be from gasoline, herbicide, or fertilizer spills, or from the family dog. To reduce compaction, aerate the soil. If you can't trim shrubs and trees to reduce shade, sow a shade-tolerant seed blend. For chemical spills, flush the soil well with water. Now you need to completely remove the existing grass or weed cover in the area. Then square off the area and enlarge it about 6 inches beyond the problem itself. Prepare the soil as thoroughly as if you were planting a new lawn. Rototill it to a depth of 6 inches, removing any weed roots or rhizomes or any other debris, like rocks or tree roots, in the soil. If the soil is sand or heavy clay, add inches of compost or other organic matter and thoroughly mix it into the soil. Rake the surface level, then water well. If you're repairing the patch with seed, sow it at the recommended rate, then rake to cover with a thin layer of soil. In hot, dry weather, also cover the seed with a light layer of weed-free mulch. Keep the soil moist until the seed germinates. After it germinates, leave the grass unmown until it reaches its maximum recommended height. The fastest way to patch a lawn is with sod. Cut the sod to match the prepared area, then lay it so its edges touch those of the existing grass. Firm the sod into the soil. Apply a special starter fertilizer and water thoroughly. Watch the new grass closely. The edges of the sod strip will be the first places to dry out and may need daily watering. Make sure the underlying soil stays moist for at least the first two weeks.

E.  How to Patch Bare Areas with Sprigs or Plugs
         Some grasses are available as sprigs or plugs. Sprigs are small pieces of grass plants with crowns and roots. Plugs are small, round patches of sod about 2 to 4 inches in diameter. Depending on species, sprigs are planted 4 to 12 inches apart, and plugs 6 to 12 inches apart. But, for patching, spacing them closer together will let them fill in bare spots faster. Before planting them, prepare soil as usual. Take extra care after planting. Keep the soil evenly moist (but not soaked through) for about a month to let the roots become established. You also have to keep the bare area between the sprigs or plugs weed free until the new grass has completely covered the bare ground.

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