If your lawn is having chronic issues with thin grass, weeds, fungus or brown spots, it’s most likely the result of a shallow, poorly developed root system. Same is true if it takes a lot of water to keep the lawn looking good during the summer months. Most of our lawns are combinations of blue grass, Perennial Rye grass and Turf Type Tall Fescue. These are considered “cool season” grasses because they thrive in the spring and early summer and in the fall. In the heat of summer, these grasses tend to go dormant; growth slows down and color may fade. When this happens, there is a tendency to use more water to try and keep the grass looking good.
The response to these issues with established lawns is to incorporate best practices including core aeration, regular applications of Revive and Humate, and top dressing with organic material. Applying these products on a consistent basis will build a strong foundation for your grass while optimizing natural resources.
Most lawn problems can be traced back to poor soil conditions including compacted, heavy clay content, poor water penetration and shallow root systems. One of the best ways to fix these issues with your lawn is to aerate twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. Aerating twice a year will begin to break up heavy clay soils, reduce lawn thatch, allow water, air and nutrients to get down to the roots, help build stronger roots and make your lawn more stress resistant.
Core aeration or “plugging” as it’s often called, uses a machine to extract a plug from your lawn, leaving the remains on top of the grass as it goes. You can leave these cores in place. They will break down over time. If they bother you, rake them up and toss them in the compost pile.
Core aeration should not be confused with power raking. Sometimes called dethatching, power raking removes the material that builds up on top of the soil. It does nothing to help build the soil your grass is growing in. Power raking can be destructive and should not be employed; aerate instead.
For small lawns, consider a hand aerator such as this one. It’s a handy tool to have for spot treating chronically compacted areas.
Once the lawn has been aerated, the next step is to work on improving the soil your grass is growing in. We recommend a combination of humate, surfactants and organic material applied individually three times a year.
Each product plays a distinct role in nurturing your lawn.
Humates improve soil structure, strengthen utilization of fertilizers and encourage root development. Bigger roots mean the lawn is under less stress and capable of handling summer heat better
Locally produced Revive acts as a surfactant to improve water penetration and utilization, reduce soil compaction and strengthen nutrient availability. We recommend applying Revive in spring, summer and again in fall so that it continuously enhances the soil’s condition without losing its wetting agents’ effectiveness.
Top dressing with organic matter and improves soil structure while fostering a thriving ecosystem of beneficial microorganisms. The process of top dressing is typically timed after other treatments or seasonal aeration to allow the compost to work effectively without being washed away or diluted. Earth Essentials Sheep, Peat and Compost and earth worm castings will add organic material, support microbial life and build soil quality.
These products should be applied individually three times a year, starting with ferti•lome HuMic, then Revive, then organic material. Allow ten to fourteen days between each application and be sure to water in each product thoroughly. By staggering these applications, you not only avoid potential interference between products but also gain the advantage of monitoring how your lawn responds to each specific treatment. Spacing applications will help maximize benefits by ensuring sufficient time to integrate into the soil without interference from other treatments.
To create the optimal growing conditions, whether it’s the vegetable garden or the lawn, building good soil is a continuous process.
