Quick Tips to Improve Your Lawns

Is your lawn sulking? Is it not looking at its best? Having sad-looking grass can be devastating, especially if you pride yourself on a beautiful yard that has long been the envy of your neighbours.

Fortunately, there are a number of different ways you can address your lawn failures, no matter the cause of them in the first place. Take note of these tips below, and your grass will be looking its best in no time.

Stay Off It

The elements can take their toll during the cooler months of the year. The soil is soggy, the grass isn’t growing, and everything is cold. Using your lawn when it’s at its worst is one of the quickest ways to see it requiring extensive maintenance when the warmer weather arrives.

You might be able to avoid a soggy, muddy, messy lawn by staying off it during periods of heavy rainfall. Sometimes, this might mean sending the kids off to their local sports field to kick a ball and giving your pets an alternative area to use the bathroom until it has a chance to dry off.

Take Care of Weeds

You might think weeds are only a garden issue, but they can also be problematic in your lawns. While winter undoubtedly gives you a break from tackling your garden lawns, broad-leafed weeds thrive in the colder weather and can quickly take over your yard.

If you’ve encountered weeds in your lawn in winter, apply a selective herbicide to stop them in their tracks. You might also be able to use herbicide products throughout the remaining seasons while cutting out weeds as you see them.

De-thatch the Lawn

During the warmer months of the year, when most parts of Aotearoa experience less rainfall, it becomes even more important to ensure your lawn has access to all the water it can get. Otherwise, you might find yourself with a patchy, dying, or dead lawn that can’t seem to recover on its own.

Give your grass the best chance to thrive by de-thatching. This involves using a rake or a de-thatching tool to remove the layer of thatch underneath your grass that stops the roots from getting all the air and moisture they need.

While time-consuming, de-thatching is a straightforward process. Simply pull your rake through the lawn with even strokes and press down firmly to remove as much thatch as possible.

Try Top-Dressing

If you’ve noticed that your lawn is uneven, patchy, or even a little bit yellow, consider top-dressing. This process describes adding a thin layer of a growing media, such as a mixture of topsoil, composted bar, and sand, over the top of your lawn, with a particular focus on those inconsistent areas.

Top dressing can be beneficial for a number of reasons. It can make your lawn more drought-resistant, improve lawn drainage, and even increase its pest resistance. You might also find that your lawn is more capable of retaining nutrients and water and requires less maintenance over time.

Feed It Fertiliser

Many of us take it for granted that our lawns will remain the picture of perfection without our assistance. While some lawns are undoubtedly better than others based on the type of grass seed used and the climate, most will benefit from the occasional fertiliser application.

There are a number of lawn fertiliser products on the market you might like to try, such as synthetic granular fertiliser, combination fertiliser, slow-release lawn food, and liquid hose-on fertiliser. All options have their pros and cons based on your lawn’s needs and your preferences.

You might opt for liquid hose-on fertiliser if you want a fast and easy solution for a brown spot without worrying about soil nutrition. However, you might be more inclined to choose a slow-release fertiliser when you want your grass to benefit from nutrients over time.

There are also many different organic lawn food options, which contain nutrient-rich ingredients like blood and bone, animal manure, seaweed, and even fish.

Aerate the Soil

The appearance and health of your grass ultimately rely on the soil underneath to be at its best. If the dirt has been compacted over time with wet weather and regular use, your grass roots might not be able to access the air and water they need to produce strong, healthy, green grass.

Fortunately, you can solve this problem by aerating it. Use a garden fork or aerator tool and create small holes about five centimetres deep into the soil. Work your way across the entire lawn.

If you have an expansive area to cover, consider purchasing spiked aerator sandals and walk across your lawn, creating holes about 20 centimetres apart.

Ask Lawncare Experts for Help

It’s okay to admit that you don’t know how to improve your lawn on your own. If you lack knowledge, experience, or even time, there will always be lawn care experts you can call upon to lend a helping hand. Your lawn can be looking at its best in no time.