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How To Thicken Up Your Lawn

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How To Care For Kentucky Bluegrass

How To Thicken Up Your New Grass Seed // Day 7 Seed Update

Do you struggle to keep the Kentucky bluegrass in your lawn green in the summer months? Are you seeing what looks like lighter-colored, delicate little weeds growing in your lawn? If you answered yes to either of these questions, this post will help you learn more about your lawn and how to take care of it.

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How To Make Your Lawn Thicker Trust Rainmaster

Theres a lot of stuff to stay on top of to get your grass nice and thick.

To be honest, its pretty tiring.

We know what youre thinking: Will grass thicken on its own?

That would be great! But, no.

So, you could spend your hard-earned weekends fertilizing, aerating, seeding, weeding. Fun, right?

Wait, heres an idea. Let us do the work.

At RainMaster, you choose from three different levels of lawn care programs, based on the results youd like, how fast you want to see results, and your budget.

Then, watch your lawn get thicker from your lounge chair.

When youre ready to put your trust in us, we cant wait to meet you and help you make the best choices for your lawn.

Ready to make your grass thicker? Request a quote today! Well review your lawn care options together so you can make a great choice. Then, you can finally enjoy watching your lawn transform and stop worrying about it.

Purpose Of Overseeding A Lawn

Lawn care professionals will frequently use overseeding as a preventative measure. Instead of waiting for the thin areas or bare spots to appear, they will reseed the lawn so that the new grass plants appear before the weak areas are able to develop. Rather than fixing a poor-looking lawn, this proactive approach keeps the turf looking full, green, and healthy.

The second reason for overseeding is to bring up color when warm season grasses go dormant in winter. This is done by seeding the warm season lawn with a cool season grass seed mix that will produce color during those months when the warm season grasses are dormant. It may seem odd to plant cool season grass seed on a warm season lawn but the very conditions that cause the warm season grass to go dormantmilder daytime conditions and cooler nighttime temperatureswill allow the cool season grass to thrive, if only temporarily. The desired result is year-round green color.

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Water The Lawn Once Per Week

Drought stress often leads to a thin bermudagrass lawn. If your lawn is not getting at least 1 inch of water every week during the spring-summer period, it will experience slow growth and poor spreading.

To get Bermuda grass to thicken, water with at least 1 inch of water per week to enhance root development and lateral growth of grass stolons. Proper irrigation promotes deeper root growth, improved nutrient absorption, and ultimately, a dense Bermuda grass turf.

Here are my important watering tips for getting Bermuda grass to thicken:

  • During the summer months, increase the watering to more than 1 per week to counter drought stress.
  • If your turf is established on sandy soil, provide 0.5 of water at a time 3-4 days apart as the soil does not hold water for long.
  • If the grass is growing in clay soils, water for shorter periods but more frequently to allow the water time to get absorbed into the root zone.

Ideally, water once a week for a long period, as opposed to watering frequently/daily for shorter periods. Such infrequent and sustained irrigation triggers deeper root growth that can draw in more nutrients for a healthier, thicker lawn.

When watering your Bermuda lawn, you should continue until youve soaked about 1/4-inch of the soil. Avoid overwatering your lawn, as this will kill your Bermuda grass or make it lose its green color. Use a rain gauge to measure how much irrigation youve done when using a manual lawn sprinkler.

Mow Your Lawn Correctly

Thicken Up Your Lawn This Fall With Overseeding

Mowing is a seemingly simple task that you probably think you cant get wrong. But your mowing habits can have a big impact on your lawns performance. Mowing properly can lead to thicker grass.

One of the largest mistakes people make is mowing their grass too short. Mowing too short can put unnecessary stress on your lawn. This can cause a dull green or yellow color, which you dont want. It can also increase the likelihood for weeds — additional headaches you dont need.

The goal is to cut no more than one-third of your grass blades at any one time. Ideal mowing timing is weekly and ideal mowing height is in between 3.5 and 4 inches, depending on your lawn type. Your mower blades should be sharpened to ensure a clean cut.

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Apply The Proper Nutrients

For turf to grow deep roots and strong blades, its critical to provide it with the proper amount and type of nutrients. Fortunately, many of the 18 required nutrients are already readily present in most soil. As a result, we only have to worry about providing already-established lawns with the required amount of two macronutrients , which are typically not present in the soil in large enough quantities.

If youre growing a new lawn, we do recommend applying fertilizer that contains phosphorus because it stimulates early root growthsomething thats just as than blade development at this stage in the turfs life. However, Massachusetts regulates how and when phosphorus is used, so its important to follow proper protocols.

But theres more! While its important to consider the amount of fertilizer used, we must also consider the type of product and when its applied.

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What To Do When Youve Got Drainage And Soil Issues

Drainage issues are generally pretty easy to spot. They include things like soggy yards, puddles that just wont go away, or patches of grass that are growing thicker and faster than surrounding areas. If youve got drainage issues, there are some things you can do to address them, including having a yard that is built and designed correctly.

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Revive Your Lawn By Overseeding

Is your lawn looking thin and brown? Well, Scotts can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you’ve always wanted and all you need to do is overseed. If you put down a layer of seed over your lawn in the spring or fall, the thin areas will thicken up, and your lawn will start to look terrific again.

Water Your Lawn Properly

How To Overseed Your Lawn – Ace Hardware

Grass does like water but if you implement the wrong watering routine it can have a detrimental effect on your lawn.

The trick for your watering routine is to water less often but give it plenty of water when you do.

If you water your lawn every day it will encourage the root system to stay near the surface as that is where it is getting the water from.

When you water your lawn less often the roots will have to grow and look for the water and this means it will grow a healthy deep root system.

There is a simple way to test if your lawn needs to be watered:

  • The way to tell if your lawn needs water is when you stand on it and the blades bounce back up it doesnt need water.
  • If you stand on your lawn and the blades dont bounce back that means the grass is wilting and needs to be watered.

If you train your lawn to have a deep root system there is a greater chance you will have a thick green lawn whereas if you water too regularly your lawn will basically become dependant on you to feed it water.

Lawns with a deep root system are healthier and more drought-resistant so that is what you want your lawn to be like.

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What Causes A Thin Lawn

A thin, sparse-looking lawn can be caused by a wide variety of factors. These include:

  • Improper mowing practices
  • Damage from weather extremes such as drought
  • Compaction
  • Too much shade
  • Damage from wear and tear

The first step is to determine which factor is causing problems in your lawn. It may be one or a combination of a few factors which are making your lawn thin.

Signs of drought include grass wilting and browning off, and leaving footprints when you walk on the lawn. Nutrient deficiencies can be determined by conducting a soil test on your lawn. Compacted soil will feel hard, and the grass will have shallow, thin roots as they are unable to penetrate the hard soil. Diseases or infestations will show up in brown grass, bare patches or spots on the grass.

The Best Fertilizer To Thicken Grass

Although partially powdered, most foliar fertilizers come in liquid form. Foliar fertilizer is considered as one of the best plant nutrients because it provides additional nutrients for plants apart from vitamins and nutrients that are absorbed by the plant roots through the planting medium.

Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade

About this item

  • Designed for full sun and dense shade, fine bladed texture and medium to high drought resistance
  • Exclusive 4 in 1 WaterSmart plus coating absorbs more water, feeds with essential nutrients and protects seedlings from disease
  • Includes Scotts best seed, protects against disease, keeps seed moist 2x longer and feeds to jumpstart growth for thicker, greener grass
  • Scotts most versatile mix stays green even in extreme conditions of dense shade or scorching sun
  • Aggressively spreads to repair bare and thin spots, and seeds up to 2,800 square feet

Scotts Turf Builder Summer Lawn Food

About this item

  • Green grass with up to 50% less water
  • 2 in 1 Lawn Food and Water Maximizer
  • Powered by Everydrop technology

Scotts Turf Builder SummerGuard Lawn

About this item

  • Feeds and strengthens your lawn against heat and drought
  • Kills and protects against listed bugs
  • Wont burn lawnguaranteed
  • Your lawn will begin to wilt when water is needed. Take advantage of natures sprinkler and rely on the rain to water your lawn.
  • A healthy lawn can clean the air, produce oxygen, prevent runoff and reduce soil erosion

Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Sun and Shade

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Recommended Steps For Complete Renovation

  • Apply a chemical such as Glyphosate to kill all vegetation.
  • Apply at the recommended rate, when grass and weeds are actively growing.
  • Dont spray when rainfall is expected within 24 hours.
  • Dont spray when windy, to avoid drift onto shrubs, trees, neighboring lawns, etc.
  • Dont walk from treated onto untreated areas.
  • Allow Glyphosate to work for 7-10 days before starting follow-up renovation steps.
  • Use a power rake to dethatch and remove excess thatch debris from the treated lawn.
  • Aerate thoroughly, using a core-type aerator.
  • Fertilize with a good starter fertilizer. Apply at the recommended rate.
  • Re-seed, using a mechanical slit seeder.
  • Tip: Reduce the recommended seeding rate by one-half and cover the area twice, in two directions, leaving a cross-hatch seeded pattern at a 45º angle.

    Note: Whether or not a chemical such as Glyphosate is used, it usually works better to overseed new grass into the old, undisturbed turf, even if it is dead, rather than start with bare dirt. Overseeding is faster and easier than completely digging up the soil, and it leaves some cover to protect against wind or water erosion of the soil surface.

    How To Make Your Lawn Thicker Weed Control

    How Long Does Grass Seed take to Grow? How to Speed it Up!

    Maybe youre looking out at your lawn and thinking, you know, it looks pretty thick. Its fine.

    Wait. Those are weeds. Ugh.

    When weeds take over your lawn, theres not enough room for your grass to grow nice and thick.

    The trick is to battle weeds before they appear. Its called pre-emergent, and its a crucial part of weed control.

    Pre-emergent weed control is designed to target the weed seeds before they sprout.

    Crabgrass is a great example of the need for pre-emergent.

    Its crucial to apply crabgrass pre-emergent in early spring to target those weed seeds as they germinate and take root in the soil so they dont become more seed-producing plants.

    But weeds are sneaky and tough, and some sneak through despite your best efforts.

    Enter post-emergent products. They kill weeds once they already exist in their dastardly leafy form.

    Weed control isnt a one-time thing. Its actually a continuous process.

    Different lawn weeds here in Wisconsin and Minnesota are active at different times of the year. Many of the peskiest spring weeds actually germinate in the fall.

    Thats why you need a complete, proactive lawn care program that includes both weed preventative and curative treatments from early spring to late fall.

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    What Are Some Grass Growing Tips

  • Use a mix or blend of different species of grasses. Using a seed mix will help your lawn better adapt to the conditions of your site .
  • Most grasses require around four hours of daily direct sunlight to thrive. If you have an area of lawn that wont get that, use a species that can handle dappled light .
  • Sowing seeds is easier with a spreader .
  • When it comes to reseeding, cool-season grasses will do better in the late summer or fall.
  • Be careful to not over-mow or over-water your lawn.
  • Make Your Lawn Thicker With Proper Mowing

    Mowing is about more than making your grass shorter. The way you mow has a big impact on the health and thickness of your lawn.

    If you mow too short, it actually hurts your grass.

    When you mow, youre removing a portion of the leaf surface that creates food through photosynthesis.

    Take off too much, and youre starving your grass.

    No more than a third of the grass blade should be removed during a single mowing.

    Bonus Pro Tip: Keep your mower blade sharp.

    A dull blade rips the top off a blade of grass, leaving a jagged edge that invites pests and disease.

    A sharp blade makes a nice, clean-cut, which helps the grass to heal faster and helps it grow thicker.

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    Improve Sunlight In The Lawn

    Bermuda grass established in a shaded area will appear thin and patchy. When establishing your lawn by sodding or seeding, ensure that the lawn area is not completely obstructed from sunlight access. Bermuda grass has poor shade tolerance, and as such it requires at least 7 hours of sunlight exposure every day to grow thicker and greener.

    Here are tips to improve sunlight exposure in your lawn:

    • Prune trees around the yard to reduce the canopy above your lawn for better sunlight penetration.
    • Establish your lawn away from the shade of tall buildings. Allow the grass to receive at least 7 hours of morning sunlight.
    • For a smaller lawn, install a sunlight reflector in the yard to increase the hours your lawn receives sunlight.

    If improving sunlight exposure is not an option for your lawn, you might want to consider planting a more shade-tolerant turfgrass such as centipede grass, or even some types of St. Augustine grass such as Floratam and Palmetto.

    Feed Your Lawn With 4

    [How To Overseed Your Lawn] with Rye Grass – [Overseeding An Existing Lawn] to thicken up your grass

    The best times to really push your lawn to grow thicker and get a beautiful lush green look is spring and early summer.

    This timing is usually the best especially for lawns with Bermuda grass. So, feed it with enough fertilizer to grow as fast as it can.

    • Do a soil test to determine the low-level nutrient.
    • Apply adequate general purpose fertilizer NPK in the ratio of 4:1:2 or a 16-4-8 is great for pushing Bermuda growth and spread.
    • Super fine particles which give you TWICE the number of particles per square foot. More particles, better and more even distribution.
    • Lower nitrogen strength allows you to apply more particles per square foot.
    • Slow release and feeds for up to 8 weeks.

    Healthy plants require fertilizer with the three elements in the ratio of 4:1:2. So, before you start applying anything on your lawn, start by testing the soil. If low fertilizer levels are causing your lawn to appear thin, then you know it is time to apply fertilizer.

    The benefit of applying adequate fertilizer is that it stops disease, weeds, and make your lawn more drought-resistant.

    Most lawns with Bermuda grass start to thin out when theres a drought. You can prevent this by ensuring your lawn grows as dense as possible prior to that season.

    Also consider a lawn care subscription box called Sunday.

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    Crabgrass Is Lurking: How To Control It

    Take a quick look at your lawn. Do you see bare spots? How about thin areas? This is cause for concern. Crabgrass loves weak areas of lawns where it can easily fill in and take over. Once established, this weed is difficultand often expensiveto eradicate, let alone manage.

    Crabgrass is an annual weed that easily outcompetes cool-season grasses. Crabgrass seeds begin to germinate when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees or above for roughly five consecutive days. This wont happen until later in the spring.

    Why is crabgrass so difficult to manage?

    • Its a hardy weed that knows how to survive.
    • A single crabgrass plant can grow upwards of 700 tillers and produce 200,000 seeds during its lifecycle.
    • It can grow in almost any turf and landscape environment.
    • It thrives in dry, sunny, hot climates when cool-season grasses typically go dormant
    • It can survive low mowing . Cool-season grasses should be mowed between 3.5 and 4 inches year-round.
    • It can withstand tremendous stress caused by foot traffic or machinery. Most cool-season grasses are much less likely to recover.

    Thicken Up Your Lawn This Fall With Overseeding

    After a rough and tough Summer, your lawn might be looking a little under the weather. Thin, weak, and bare spots in a lawn are a common concern for homeowners at this time of year, but with Fall at our doorstep, now is prime time to begin addressing some of the issues you might have with your grass.

    Good cultural practices like mowing and watering are always important, but after the effects of heat and drought stress, insect infestations, and turfgrass diseases, sometimes you need to put in that extra bit of effort to get your lawn looking great again. Overseeding is an excellent way to get your grass back on track, and Fall just so happens to be the ideal time to do it.

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