Originally posted by: edro
Originally posted by: Citrix
you should rent a power rake pretty soon and get all that dead grass up, then aerate it, then throw down new seed. let the seed germinate for 3 weeks then apply a good weed and feed spring fertilizer.
if you have a sprinkler system, set it to come on in the middle of the night for about 15 min each station every other day.
sit back and watch the grass grow to a nice healthy green and enjoy.
Sounds like good advice... Can I dethatch my lawn with a rake? My lot is pretty small, so I could probably do it myself. I got a card on my mail box the other day that said they would aerate my lawn for like $40. Is that a good price?
What happens if I just reseed and don't dethatch or aerate?
I don't have a sprinkler system.
If you don't dethatch or aerate your new seed probably won't germinate. Thatch is basically layed down dead grass that covers the ground. Aeration reduces compaction which allows for a better root system.
Here's a great way to go:
0. Make sure you have a few bags of seed (or however much you need), and enough sand to cover your lawn thinly. Order someone to aerate your lawn Saturday afternoon. Rent a power rake for Saturday morning.
1. Friday evening after work, dump the seed into a large plastic garbage can. Add water until it's full.
2. Saturday morning, power rake your lawn and get all the dead stuff up.
3. Let the guy aerate Saturday afternoon. Rake up the cores and put them in the compost, or use them to start a new patch of lawn.
4. Top dress your lawn with the sand lightly and sweep it in with a broom as best you can. If your lawn is fairly small this won't be TOO much work, but it'll pay off later. Try to get just enough on to fill the holes up. Water overnight.
5. Sunday morning dump the garbage can out onto a tarp very carefully, trying to keep the seed on the tarp while letting the water run away. Mix small amounts in a wheelbarrow with sand, and a small amount of starter fertilizer (13-26-6 is a fairly good ratio... mainly you want a big middle number and a moderately large first number) then wheelbarrow out to the yard and start spreading. If your lawn was thin, then go thicker on the overseeding. If you can, see if you can rent a roller (even a simple drum you fill with water and roll around will do). Roll your lawn to press the new seed into good contact with the ground, but don't overdo it.
6. Keep moist at all times if possible over the next several days. Moist does not mean soaked btw.
7. Come spring throw a little nitrogen rich fertilizer on it (big first number) and prepare to mow pretty often. Always use a sharp blade and don't mow it too short. If there are a lot of clippings, it's better to bag them and remove them. If you mow often enough, then you don't have to worry about it so much.
8. Secret trick to impress your friends: If you're having a barbeque or something where some people are coming over and you want to impress them, then spray your lawn with an iron-rich supplement which you can find at most garden stores. It'll turn your lawn a gorgeous dark green for a little while.
Facebook
Twitter