While it may seem like the end of the road for your precious lawn, don’t despair. There are ways to revive your dried lawn and make it green again. In fact, it’s not as challenging as it seems, and just involves some extra care and planning. So, if you want to bring your lacklustre grass back to life, here’s 7 ways to revive a dried lawn. Once you revive your dried lawn, be sure not to make any of these seven common lawn care mistakes. Also, here are 5 reasons to buy an electric lawn mower if you’re thinking of upgrading.
How to revive a dried lawn
Before you tackle your dried lawn, you’ll need to know whether your grass is dead or dormant. Simply tug at a piece of grass, and if it easily comes away at a pull, that means it’s dead. Other signs to lookout for include distinct patterns or areas or circles of brown grass. On the other hand, dormant grass is essentially still alive, and can spring back to life after about 10-14 days by following the steps below.
1. Dethatch your lawn
The first step is to dethatch the law. This involves raking over the lawn to allow air or moisture to penetrate the grass better. Essentially, thatch is a layer of decomposing plant materials, such as dead leaves and trees, that builds up on the surface of the soil. If it gets thicker than ½ inch, this can prevent your lawn from getting enough air, water and nutrients. It also prevents healthy root development and can make it prone to insect and disease issues.
2. Aerate the soil
When the soil is too dense or the grass is too thick, this often prevents air from penetrating, which can eventually kill the grass. Aerating your lawn helps prevent this, allowing air, water and nutrients reach the roots. To aerate your lawn, punch holes using a fork to about five or six inches in depth. This way you’ll help your lawn receive all the nutrients it needs to thrive.
3. Kill weeds and dandelions
4. Fertilize it
Lawns need a consistent supply of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium to help them develop and stay healthy. Depending on your soil type (clay or sandy), there are suitable fertilisers in granular or liquid forms. In addition, you can naturally fertilize using compost or grass clippings, both of which double up as a great defence against weeds.
5. Plant new grass seeds or lay sod
If your dried lawn is receding or patchy, you’ll need to know how to plant grass seeds and get a greener yard. It’s always best to choose a high-quality grass seed and spread it evenly over your prepared lawn. Once the seed is completely laid down, cover it with a thin layer of soil. Alternatively, if you don’t want to wait too long for your grass to grow, learn how to lay sod for an instant upgrade. Sod is grass that is already growing and comes in rolls or squares that you lay over your soil. If you are only filling in dead patches, you can simply use sod to plug wherever you need new grass.
6. Water frequently
7. Top dress the lawn
Topdressing is a layer of compost or other nutrient-rich soil covering the top of your lawn. This will give the dried lawn a nutrient boost and will improve the structure of the soil at root level, again helping absorbency. With the help of aeration and a better water flow, the lawn can absorb the nutrients naturally through decomposition, helping the grass grow thicker. In addition, you can top dress the lawn with sands or other mixtures, depending on your soil type.
Other tips to keep your lawn green
Don’t cut your grass too short. Experts advise cutting grass down to 2 ½ to 3 inches, which is a healthy heightExperts also suggest mowing your lawn at least once a week in summer and once every two weeks for the remaining seasons Make sure your lawn has good drainage to avoid it getting waterloggedAvoid planting grass seeds in shady areas. Grasses require sunlight to stay healthy and thrive. If you’re planting seeds in shade, they may not survive
After you’re done with this check out the best time to water your lawn according to the experts. And you can also read about how much you should water your lawn to keep it green, according to experts and also how to fix a waterlogged lawn and this is when you should stop mowing your lawn for the winter. You can also read our guide on how to get rid of lawn grubs for a pest-free backyard and how to rake leaves to keep your yard clean this Fall.
