How to Revive Your Lawn after Winter
The winter is a fun season. We can enjoy winter sports and throw snowballs at friends. But, for the lawn, this is a harsh season. When the spring comes, it will be full of bare patches. Here, I share with you the five steps you need to follow to restore it to its previous glory.
In many cases, weeds grow faster than grass. If they have shallow roots, you can simply pull them. If their roots are deep, you need to dig a little bit until you are able to remove the entire plant.
Snow mold is a type of fungus that damages the grass. It will appear after the snow melts. Get rid of it by gently raking the affected areas. The matted grass will loosen and dry.
Remove debris and dead leaves. They block the sunrays from reaching the grass leading to brown spots. You can use a rack or a leaf blower.
Thatch is a layer of dead and living plant matter that gradually builds up at the base of the grass. If this layer is compacted, it will prevent water and nutrients from reaching the grassroots. You can use hand or machine powered thatch removers to get rid of it.
After removing the thatch, it is time to take care of the soil underneath it. You can't have a healthy lawn with a dry and compacted soil. It should be loosened to allow the penetration of air and water. This can be done using an aerator. It is a tool that punctures the ground leaving small holes. It can be manual or machine-driven. This tool isn't difficult to use. It is basically like pushing a lawnmower.
Some parts of your lawn will not survive the harsh winter. You will find many brown spots all over the place. To fix this issue: you can either plant seeds, water them and wait, or you can buy sods and fix the patches. Either way, make sure that the type you've bought matches the rest of the grass. If you can't identify the grass type, simply take a sample with you. Before planting the seeds, till the soil, spread a thin layer of compost and then simply sow the seeds with your hand over the brown spots. If you want to remove the brown spots quicker, then lay down some sod patches.
The grass was covered with snow; you didn't apply fertilizer for a few months. The lawn should be hungry. Therefore, you need to apply fertilizer based on the plant's needs. Water the seeds. After a few months of inactivity, the sprinkler heads can be stuck. So you need to locate and release them. If you can't find them easily, you can use a metal detector.
"It is more difficult to stay on top than to get there." Mia Hamm
Reviving your lawn is only the first step. You still need to maintain it in a good shape or else your revival efforts will go in vain and the lawn will slowly deteriorate.
Mow it regularly. Sharpen your lawnmower's blade. Raise the blade to 3 inches during the summer to help the grass survive the hot weather. Don't forget to edge around the paths and flower beds.
Water it regularly and deeply during the morning to help the grass develop deep roots. Water it every other day rather than daily. Leave the water run long enough to soften 6 inches deep of soil.
Apply the fertilizer by hand or with a spreader. Don't put too much. Plants will only absorb what they need.
Rob is passionate about unearthing nuggets, coins, and relics using his metal detector. You can follow him on his journey on his blog at MetalDetectorPlanet.com
Lawn scarifier image by Peter Quade CC BY-SA
Lawn seedling image by Martine Boose
