| We have lived in our house for 3 years and each year we water, mow, and fertilize but each year we get more and more weeds along with less and less grass. Where are we going wrong and is there anything we can do to fix it without tearing up the entire yard and resoding? |
| There are a couple of ways to renovate your lawn. You can rototill it up and start all over, or you can rent a core aerator and aerate your lawn, then spread some sand or compost over the area and reseed. If you decide to start all over, you can rent a rototiller and till the entire area to break up the soil. Remove any debris (stones, sticks, weeds, etc.) and then spread 4-5 inches of organic matter over the area and rototill it in, then rake the area smooth. Sod produces an almost instant lawn because the grass is mature with a healthy root system. After laying the sod and watering it down well, it only takes a week or two to become firmly established. Seeding takes a little longer, but the results are eventually the same - a lush, thick, healthy lawn. If you decide to seed your lawn, choose a mixture of perennial ryegrass, creeping fescues and bluegrass. This mixture contains both cool season and warm season grasses and will ensure your lawn remains green all summer and winter long. The second option is to aerate the lawn. A core aerator will remove one inch by three inch plugs from the lawn. Leave the plugs on the lawn and they will dissolve in rain or water from the sprinklers. After aerating spread a thin layer of sand or compost over the area and water it in well. The sand or compost plus the soil from the plugs will work their way down into the holes left by the plugs, loosening and enriching the soil. You can then overseed your entire lawn. Either approach should improve the soil beneath the lawn and help your lawn grow lush and thick, which will help crowd out any future weeds. Good luck with your lawn! |
