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How To Fix Thin Lawn

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Breath Life Back Into Patchy Lawns

An EASY FIX For Your THINNING Lawn

Restoring a thin and patchy lawn back to health is one of the most rewarding things you can do in the garden. Not only does it look more aesthetically pleasing, but it also helps minimise the risk of further patches from appearing. By using a multi-faceted approach to lawn care, you ensure it receives all of the hydration, nutrition, air and sunlight it needs to grow thick and strong.

Having the right tools to hand helps simplify the entire process, encouraging lush, green and healthy growth throughout the year. From automated mowing with to feeding and spot treatments with a , find all of the tools and accessories you need to support your lawn, whether at home or on the job.

Garden Lawn Repair Guide

When it comes to healthy and beautiful looking gardens, your lawn can really make or break it. There’s nothing quite as frustrating as a patchy or bare lawn, especially when the rest of the yard is in perfect condition.

Whether you are a greenspace professional working on large lawns, or a homeowner looking for a simple fix, repairing a patchy or thin lawn isn’t difficult if you know a few of the tricks.

Luckily, a few simple lawn repair and renovation steps will have your lawn looking thick, lush and healthy in no time. Here’s how to fix a patchy lawn so you can spend more time enjoying the garden instead of going to battle with it.

How To Fix Thinning Grass

Thinning grass refers to thin patches of grass on a lawn. These thin grass patches not only make the lawn look unsightly but are also an indication of some underlying problems in the lawn like thatch buildup, too much shade, nutrient deficiency, and drought conditions, among others. Fixing thinning grass include procedures like removing thatch using a thatching rake, aerating your lawn during the growing season, water properly, apply fertilizer, weed control, sow grass seed and correct lawn mowing.

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Eden discusses the causes of thinning grass, the different ways to fix them and the possibility of reviving a thin lawn. Also, it is important to know the right tools required to fix thinning grass so that you see the results you desire, and therefore, Eden has listed them here. Let us start with understanding how to fix thinning grass.

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Why Is My New Grass So Thin

Thin or Sparse Grass: Can be due to too little seed being applied, poor areas of soil, or poor germination. To solve: 6 to 8 weeks after initial seeding add a thin layer of soil and apply more seed. Do not use a fertilizer and weed killer combination at this time because it will burn the newly germinated grass.

How To Fix A Thinning Lawn

Lawn Maintenance and Turf Care

Thinareas in the lawn aren’t just unsightly, they can also lead to worseproblems like weed invasion or loss of topsoil from erosion. Athinning lawn is systematic of other problems in the landscape.Address the problem and then choose a method to fix the thin area toavoid further lawn problems in the future.

CommonCauses of Thinning Lawns

Culturalproblems are the most common cause of thin lawns, which you canusually remedy yourself during lawn repair. If you suspect pest ordisease are at the root of the lawn problem, then having professionaltreatment for the culprit prior to repairing the lawn may benecessary.

ShadeIssues

Lawnsin shady areas tend to be most prone to thinning. Heavy tree coversor shade from nearby structures are usually the culprit. Although youcan have trees removed or thinned out, choosing a lawn grass thatthrives in shadier conditions offers another solution. St. Augustineand zoysia grasses provide a warm season option for shade, while agood cool season option is one of the many fescue grasses thatare available.

DroughtStress

Grassneeds water to grow lush and thick. As a general rule of thumb,provide 1 to 1 1/2 inches of water weekly. Thatch buildup andcompacted soil can also reduce the amount of water that reaches grassroots. Thatch removal and soil aeration will remedy the problem somoisture can once again soak into the soil.

NutrientDeficiency

Methodsto Repair a Thin Lawn

Overseeding

SodInstallation

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Aerate Your Lawn During The Growing Season

Aerating your lawn refers to the process of punching small holes into the lawn to loosen hard and compacted soil. Compacted soil prevents water, air, and nutrients from circulating in the soil properly, which affects the growth of the grass. Also, compacted soil does not allow the roots of turfgrass to grow and spread, creating a shallow root system that leads to a thin and weak lawn.

The step-by-step procedure for aerating your lawn during the growing season is given below.

  • Irrigate your lawn a day before the aeration to ensure easy penetration of the aerator into the soil.
  • Use a manual or mechanical lawn aerator according to the size of the lawn.
  • If you have an irrigation system installed on your lawn, make sure to mark the position of the sprinkler heads before you start aerating your lawn to prevent any damage.
  • Mow your lawn short
  • Move across the compacted area with your lawn in one direction.
  • Make a second pass with the lawn aerator in a direction perpendicular to the first one to ensure proper coverage.
  • Leave the removed plugs on the lawn to break down their own. If you want them to decompose faster, you can use a bow rake to break the plugs down after they dry.
  • Spread a thin layer of topsoil over the area . This is optional, but it will give the seeds enough soil to germinate.
  • Spread grass seeds over the topsoil.
  • Fertilize the area with the right amount of fertilizer.

Lawn Repair: Patching With Sod

Laying sod is the quickest way to patch a dead or damaged turf area. You can lay it any time during the season. Prepare the soil the same way you would for patching with seed. Keep the area an inch or so below grade so the new grass will be level with the lawn. Then cut a piece from the strip of sod to fit the repair site. Press it firmly onto the soil, placing its edges snugly against the surrounding lawn. Walk on it to settle it into place. Water deeply and often until roots grow into the soil beneath the sod.

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Use Proprietary Lawn Patch Products

Another viable repair technique is using lawn patch repair products.

Most of these are specifically formulated to provide all-in-one brown/bare spots fix for your lawn and make repairing the bare spots easy-peasy!

If this is the way you feel you should go, here are some products worth looking at:

  • Scotts Patchmaster this wonderful ready-to-grow grass repair mix begins to grow in as little as seven days and blends nicely with your lawn
  • Grotrax quick fix grass patch repair roll place the product on your bare spots and water as recommended . It will produce gorgeous green grass in about 2 weeks.
  • EZ patch lawn repair Try the EZ Patch Repair product on the empty spots if you have St. Augustine grass. It is the first patching product for St. Augustine grass in the market and makes the bare spots turn green amazingly quickly.
  • Dog Spot Grass Repair Pre-Mixed Spray This quickly and effectively covers the Brown Burn spots your pet leaves on lawn.

My Lawn Has Bare Spots

Thin Lawn? Fix It In ONLY 3-Weeks

If, on the other hand, your grass is in generally good condition but has a few bare spots, youll want to take a different approach. You can get those areas growing again with Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair.

EZ Seed® has a unique combination of Scotts® high performance seed, premium continuous release lawn food, and super-absorbent growing material. You loosen the soil with a rake, spread the seeds according to the package directions, and water daily until new grass seedlings are 2 tall .

Also Check: What Fertilizer To Use On Lawn In Summer

Hard Or Compacted Soil

If your lawn takes a beating with rough-and-tumble activity from kids and pets, your soil can become compacted. Why is that such a big deal? Because when your soil is hard, oxygen, water, and nutrients have trouble getting to your grass roots, which can lead to a thin lawn. Consider aerating your lawn, which is a process of perforating the lawn with small holes to let water, air, and nutrients pass through. Either before or after aerating, you may also want to apply Scotts® Foundation Soil Improver, which can help both reduce compaction and boost water retention. Cool season grasses should be aerated in the early spring or fall, and warm season grasses in the late spring, so be sure to add that activity to your lawncare calendar.

Spring Lawn Care: Reseeding Tips To Fix Bare Spots Thin Grass Stands

Spring rain brings your lawn back to life. With cooler temperatures and plenty of moisture in the ground, the grass tends to grow faster, requiring frequent mowing.

However, spring lawn is not always perfect. Patches of bare spots and thin grass stands are common this year due to a lack of snow cover to provide insulation to surface roots. To repair the damaged areas, consider the following reseeding options and best management practices:

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How Do You Fix Thin Spots In Your Lawn

4.4/5Repair thinbare spotsPatchRepairthealawnbare spots

Considering this, how do I fix bare spots in my lawn?

Repairing Bare Spots

  • Dig up the area to a 6-in.
  • Mix in topsoil to improve soil quality and help new sod or grass seed get off to a good start.
  • Rake and tamp to firm and level the surface to the surrounding lawn.
  • Apply the lawn product .
  • Water the area well.
  • One may also ask, how can I make my grass grow back? How to Grow Back Grass in Dead Patches

  • Work a rototiller over the dead patches to a depth of 4 to 6 inches.
  • Spread an inch of sand on the patches to improve drainage.
  • Add an inch of compost on top of the other amendments.
  • Apply a starter fertilizer containing a lot of phosphorus.
  • Pour grass seed into a hand spreader.
  • Correspondingly, what causes bald patches in lawn?

    Bald spots in our lawn can be caused by several things, but the most common cause is pet urine. Pets, especially dogs, have very strong urine, and they also tend to use the same spot over and over. This kills the grass in that spot and leaves the homeowner with unsightly patches.

    Will grass fill in bare spots on its own?

    Preparing the soil, amending it with compost and fertilizer and, above all, maintaining irrigation will get grass regrowing quickly. Keep the area free from traffic for several weeks, and you will have the bald patches repaired in less than a month.

    Reintroduce New Seeds Into Your Lawn Soil To Complete Over

    Good Bye Grubs

    After about 4 weeks of following, it is time to complete the over-seeding process by reintroducing new seeds into your lawn soil. These new seeds should be of the same specie as the previous to encourage uniformity.

    All things being equal, expect an amazing lawn yard is growing thickly and fully with green, healthy, and lush grasses in a few short weeks.

    Is your lawn grass looking thin and worn-out? Would you prefer a great looking lawn yard growing healthily? GoMow Austin could come to the rescue as soon as you are ready!

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    Your Soil Is Not Healthy How To Increase Soil Fertility

    • If you have a soil test, it will indicate what nutrients are lacking in your soil. If you dont have one, ask your local extension office for advice or do some research online.
    • You can also use a test kit at home to see if adding compost and fertilizer would be helpful. Some tests even tell you what types of fertilizers to add based on what they find in the soil!
    • Organic matter is important because it helps hold moisture and nutrients in the soil, which allows plants to grow well. Compost is made from organic material that has decomposed over time , so adding compost will increase the amount of organic matter in your garden bed. This also makes sense because leaves are an important part of natures process!

    My Lawn Has Bare Or Very Thin Patches In Random Areas With Grass That Can Be Easily Pulled From The Soil

    If youve eliminated too much shade and insufficient watering or feeding as probable causes, its likely that your lawn has grubs, beetles or worms. Bring a small soil sample to your local lawn experts for proper pest identification and treatment. You can also use a grub and insect control product that doesnt harm earthworms to rid your lawn of pests and parasites.

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    Watering Your Lawn Yard To Increase Microbial Action

    After applying compost evenly on your lawn yard, the next action step to take is to water your lawn soil deeply, so it covers about an inch above it. Rich compost will experience faster microbial activity when there is a good deal of moisture available.

    This doesnt mean you should flood the entire lawn yard. Simply apply enough water to your lawn to get it soaked up. Once a week will suffice if done correctly.

    Approach : Eradicate Grubs

    How to fix a Patchy & Thin new Lawn

    If grubs have spent the summer munching on your turf grass roots, brown areas may soon emerge as grass decays.

    The fix is to eradicate the grubs by spraying carbaryl over the lawn.

    Introducing beneficial nematodes can be a good alternative to the aforementioned grub killer for lawns.

    Quick Note: To check if you have a grub-infestation, just dig into any brown patch and try to look for the creatures . As a rule of thumb, finding 10 or more of the creatures per sq. foot of sod points to a grub infestation.

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    Causes Of A Thin And Patchy Lawn

    There are many reasons why a lawn begins to thin out and become patchy and bare. The main culprits include weed growth, thatch, poor air and water delivery to the roots, inconsistent mowing and moss or fungal growth.

    Other causes include overuse of pesticides and artificial fertiliser, too much or too little water, extreme weather conditions, standing objects or furniture directly on the grass, animals digging at the ground and insect infestations.

    For most patchy lawns, a combination of not mowing regularly enough, under fertilising and weed growth is to blame, so it makes sense to first target these things before moving to the more drastic options.

    Reasons Grass Is Disappearing

    The most common reason that lawns deteriorate and patchy areas of poor or no growth develop is the lack of sunlight. Grass thrives on full sun, so if you have shady areas, a fence that has just gone up, or a new tree blocking sunlight, you may start to lose patches of green. There are, of course, other potential issues if you know your lawn is getting enough sunlight:

    • Pests eating grass and its roots

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    Oozing Orange Sap On Birch Tree

    In spring, it is a common phenomenon to observe bright orange slimy sap residues on the tree trunks of bleeding trees like birch, ironwood, maples, elms and walnut. In bleeding trees, any unsealed wounds on the tree trunk cause the spring sap to naturally ooze out externally. It is observed that the yellow-bellied sapsuckers are associated for causing spring wounds by drilling horizontal and vertical holes.

    The oozing sap is rich in sugar and serves as a growth media for bacteria, fungi and yeast that turns the colorless sap to bright orange in color which catches our attention. Once the wound on the tree trunk is sealed by the trees natural compartmentalization process, the sap will stop flowing and the oozing materials will start to dry out.

    Though the orange sap residue may give an unaesthetic appearance, it doesnt affect the trees health.

    Vijai Pandian is horticultural agent/educator for Brown County University of Wisconsin-Extension. For questions and advice, contact the Extension’s Horticulture Help Desk at 920-391-4615 or [email protected].

    There Are Ugly Brown Spots On My Lawn

    PRO

    Okay, to be honest, this ones a little more complicated, because there are several things that could be causing the spots. Possible culprits range from grubs or fungus to foot traffic, weed dieback, and dog urine. So, before you grab a product and start spreading or spraying, its important to identify what the problem is.

    • If critters like raccoons and skunks have begun digging in your yard, or the dead patches of grass lift up like loose carpet, chances are you have grubs. Check out section 4 below to find out what to do.
    • Spots caused by dog urine tend to have brown centers with green outer rings. Get rid of them with Scotts® EZ Seed® Dog Spot Repair Sun and Shade .
    • Fungus tends to cause irregular patches of yellow or straw-colored grass that can range in size and shape. To fight back, apply Scotts® DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide, will control a variety of fungal diseases for up to 4 weeks. Be sure to follow label directions.
    • For brown spots caused by foot traffic or areas of dead weeds, a product like Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair will do the trick.

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    When Should You Aerate Your Lawn

    You want to aerate the lawn when your grass is in its peak growing period so it can recover quicklythink early spring or fall for cool-season grasses, and late spring through early summer for warm-season grasses. If you have high-traffic areas or heavy clay soil, you will want to aerate every year.

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