Soundview Landscape Blog

In this article on Lawn Renovation, we are going to break down some of the terms you may be familiar with in terms of lawn care and maintenance.

Even though we’ve titled this article “Lawn Renovation”, many times these procedures should be part of a regular maintenance regimen.

Thatch in a lawn is easily identifiable as the layer of dead and decaying matter between the soil surface and the growing sections of turfgrass.  A simple rule of thumb is that about 3/4” of thatch is tolerable, any more than that and you’ll be asking for trouble.  Too much thatch in a lawn prevents water, fertilizer and nutrients from reaching the roots of the grass plants.  Conversely, no thatch layer leaves the soil exposed to wind and water and may lead to erosion problems and thinning of the desirable  turf.

Managing thatch in your lawn is an easy, annual task.

Truth be told, I probably own 2 dethatchers like the one shown with blades designed to chop up the thatch and clean up the lawn.  They hardly get used, except for extreme cases.

That’s good news, because the cleanup after running one of these can be extraordinary.  Timing wise, for light thatch and general cleanup Spring is best, before the lawn gets going.  A light dethatching followed up with a Crabgrass Pre-emergent will set you straight.  Otherwise, plan on an end of summer project or maybe a lawn renovation (more on that later).

Instead of all the work required for dethatching, I recommend aeration each fall.

An aerator is designed to pull plugs from your lawn which are about the size of a quarter in diameter and up to 4 or 5 inches long.  Best of all, no cleanup is required.  That’s right, aerate like crazy and just leave it alone!  What could be better?  The resulting holes in  your lawn will allow for compaction to be relieved as well as allowing the water, nutrients and air to benefit the lawn’s root system.  My favorite follow up to aerating is overseeding, because I know the seed will land where it is likely to germinate and grow, rather than just get scattered on the surface of the ground where it doesn’t really stand a great chance of getting established.  I always recommend aeration in late August or early September in our area because in order to establish quality stands of cool season grasses (Kentucky Bluegrass, Ryegrass, or Fescues) early fall is best.  The weather will cooperate, other weeds don’t germinate, and working conditions are often more comfortable.

When dethatching and aerating aren’t enough, you may wish to consider lawn renovation.   Usually, 50% or more of your lawn area would need to be judged a problem in order to  choose renovation.  We’ll cover the basics here, but can help you with more in depth analysis in person if you need more tips or suggestions.

Lawn Renovation Guidelines

Fall is the best time to seed a lawn.  Anytime from August 15 – October 15 generally works well.  Cool nights, some rainfall, no competitive weed germination and no frost all means you’ll have luck.  The following steps can be used as a general guideline for a lawn renovation with some optional steps for a more thorough job.

• Step 1 – Get your soil tested!!!!!  You need to know what you have and where you are headed from a soil composition and nutrient point of view.  Check our guide on Lime and Fertilizer for more information about Soil testing.
• Step 2 – Measure the area(s) in question.  All of the questions about seed, lime, fertilizer and even watering are determined by the size of your area.  Now is a good time to determine if the lawn is smooth and even.  If not, make some notes about the depth of any low spots.
• Step 3 – Determine whether you are renovating for maintenance purposes or need a total renovation.  Is most of the lawn (50%)  in decent shape but could be thicker and greener?  Are there just some trouble spots or inconsistency in the color of the lawn?  In this case we’ll proceed with step 4.  Have more problems or need more work, skip to the end of this list.
• Step 4 – Make a plan of attack.  With the information we discussed previously, you should be able to decide whether dethatching or aerating is best.  Soundview and our staff always recommend aeration as one of the best options to consider.
• Step 5 – Rent or borrow an aerator.  They are available at rental centers and home stores, but you may need to line up a pickup truck or trailer if you choose to do it yourself.  Otherwise, now might be the time to consider hiring a professional to do the job.  Soundview can help with this too!
• Step 6 – Mark out your lawn for buried obstacles – including sprinkler systems, pet fencing, surface drainage pipes or more.  Next, start aerating.  Make a couple of overlapping passes in each direction to ensure that there are holes everywhere.  Here’s a tip – it helps to aerate after rain or heavy watering.   Sometimes on dry ground the machine just won’t penetrate into the soil.
• Step 7 – Spread grass seed.  With the help of an expert at Soundview you’ll be able to pick the best seed for your conditions.  Figure on using about 5# per square foot for bare areas and as little as 2# per square foot for other sections.  We recommend using a broadcast spreader for even coverage.  Some folks recommend using a slice seeder for this step.  A slice seeder is similar to a de-thatcher with blades behind a seed hopper.  They are really effective for getting the seed into the soil, but they are pretty bulky and may be overkill if you are able to aerate thoroughly.
• Step 8 – If you have any light filling or topdressing (spreading a thin layer of soil over existing turf), now is the time.  Soundview recommends using loam with compost as a topdressing.  Sometimes it is a little chunky, but will provide great results in the long term.
• Step 9 – Spot seed any areas that were filled in, then fertilize the lawn.  Make sure not use a fertilizer with any herbicides in it as that will render the seed useless.  Soundview can help provide a balanced fertilizer which will give you great results.
• Step 10 – Water, Water, Water – (unless it rains).  While the grass is germinating, keep it moist, not so much that you have mud flowing all around.  On hot days, several short mists will work.  On overcast days, once or twice should suffice. Once the lawn is established, switch to deep, infrequent watering and don’t water at night.  By the way, this is one of those cultural practices you can follow to help keep the lawn healthy without any increase in time, money or aggravation.
• Step 11 – Enjoy your healthy lawn!  Start mowing once the grass needs to be cut.  Remember – never remove more than 1/3 of the grass at one time.  More frequent mowing and taller heights will promote thickening of the turf.  Clippings are 70% water, so unless they are smothering the new turf, no need to remove them.