Lawn is that place where we can sit relax and enjoy our time with family and friends. If it doesn’t look fresh and attractive then it loses its charm. For knowing, how to fix all the problems that a lawn generally has, click here - http://www.toemar.ca/5-ways-you-sabotage-your-lawn-and-how-to-fix-it-now/
5 Ways You Sabotage Your Lawn and How to Fix It Now
1. 5 Ways You Sabotage
Your Lawn and How
to Fix It Now
2. From dog marks to grubs to fertilizer burns, it’s easy
to repair a damaged lawn…
Like with most things, the best defense against a damaged
lawn is prevention, but when it comes to lawn care, even
the most diligent green thumb can end up with a burnt
out, unattractive lawn.
These are the top 5 issues we see with damaged lawns on
a regular basis:
Over-fertilization, resulting in burnt or bare patches
Urine damage from pets, also resulting in yellow, bare
patches
Insect and critter damage
3. Weeds, including dandelions and crabgrass Lack of
moisture
Over-fertilization And Pet Urine Damage
This kind of damage causes patches of burnt out lawn,
where the grass has died and thinned out, or bare patches
where there is basically no lawn left. There are two ways
to tackle the problem in the specific patches: seeding or
sod.
For seeding, you need high quality topsoil and grass seed,
and you need to know the kind of soil you’re working
with.
Step 1: Mow the whole lawn, paying particular attention
to the areas you plan to re-seed
4. Step 2: Rake the soil areas that you want to re-seed
Step 3: Spread the grass seed according to the package
instructions and roll the area to ensure that the seeds have
good contact with the soil
Step 4: Add a layer of topsoil to the areas. This will help
protect the seeds from blowing away or being picked up
by birds and insects, while they germinate. It also helps to
retain moisture, which the seeds will also need to
effectively take hold.
For sod, preparation is key.
First off, plant your sod right away.
5. The sod needs to be watered frequently throughout the
first season, and it will take a few weeks for the roots to
truly take; Be patient!
Insect damage
Damage from insects occurs in two ways: from the insects
themselves and from the birds and small animals that prey
on the insects. Very often, lawn damage that is due to
insects isn’t immediately visible, such as when the lawn is
growing in the summer, but come the following spring,
the damage may be very easy to spot.
6. Watch out for evidence of small animals, like raccoon
droppings or a proliferation of skunks or birds
congregating in one area of your lawn: these are signs that
you’ve got grubs or other insects infesting your lawn. If
your infestation is heavy, It will be hard to miss the
quantify of torn grass resulting from these critters’ nightly
grub hunts. They do provide a form of free pest control,
but it’s at the cost of your lawn!
Pesticide bans in Ontario have made it difficult to deal
with this type of infestation so your best bet is a thick
healthy lawn and the easiest way to achieve that, again, is
to re-seed or sod the affected areas, as described above.
7. It’s important to really work the ground, removing all the
old sod, and keep an eye on re-seeded areas to make sure
that weeds don’t take root.
TIP! A well-watered, appropriately fertilized and
overseeded lawn is less likely to have issues with grubs
and insects (and weeds, for that matter) simply because
they’re more robust and can withstand the insects better,
from the root upwards.
8. Weeds be gone
Issues with weeds like dandelions and crabgrass are
similar to those of insects: they’re more likely to invade
less healthy and bare areas of your lawn where
competition for water and nutrients is less, and again,
pesticide bans have made them more difficult to manage.
A healthy lawn will block out weeds before they can gain
a foothold, so really the true solution to weed problems is
prevention.
Unfortunately, once you have weeks, there’s no magic
cure. You simply need to pull them by hand or by raking
them from the root, then fix the lawn with seed or sod.
9. After that, you can keep them at bay with a thick, healthy
and well maintained lawn.
TIP! Don’t over-mow your lawn! A good lawn mower
will have adjustable cutting heights so be sure to set it at
the highest level: you want to be taking off no more than a
third of the grass blade, each time you mow. Too short
and the weeds will have an opportunity to invade!
Lack of moisture
The single biggest threat to a healthy lawn is lack of
moisture. Without it, the grass roots will be shallow and
easily disturbed, to say nothing of their inability to get the
available nutrients in the soil.
10. How can you tell if your lawn needs moisture—before it
turns brown, that is? Step on it. Does the grass retain your
footprints or does it bounce back? If the former, you need
to water. If the latter? Good job watering!
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