Let’s say you’ve just moved in. You walk your local movers Sudbury out the door and watch them leave. Perfect! Everything is as it should be. Now you only need to enjoy your new home. Except you’re just now looking out at your lawn and you realize it’s seen better days. Ugly bald spots, thin patchy grass or dried out plants: whatever it is, it doesn’t look good. You sigh, exhausted before you’ve even started. How on Earth are you going to fix this? Well, we have a couple of ideas about what you can do to repair your lawn! And don’t worry, it’s not as hard as it may seem right now.
Reasons why you may need to repair your lawn
There’s a variety of reasons why you may need to repair your lawn. If you’ve just moved in and the previous owner wasn’t big on taking care of the lawn, you’re going to have to deal with the mess as soon as you’ve unpacked your moving boxes Sudbury and settled in a bit. And if you’ve just been shirking your duties in taking care of the lawn, it’s time to stop and fix the damage now.
However, sometimes it isn’t about anything anyone’s done. Sometimes the soil is just not good enough or the weather isn’t suitable with too much rain and not enough sun. God knows Canadian weather isn’t to be messed with!
Either way, the most common issues you’ll need to repair your lawn from are:
- ugly bald spots
- thin and patchy grass
- an infestation of weeds or pests
Each of these problems has a different solution!
Better to prevent damage than fix it
Remember that it’s always easier to prevent damage than repair it once it’s done! By selecting the right grass, seeding or sodding properly and maintaining your lawn regularly, you can avoid most of the common lawn problems. Not only will your lawn be your pride joy and the envy of all your neighbors, but you will also save money and effort if you don’t need to fix any issues.
Ways to repair your lawn from most common problems
Don’t despair if the damage is already there! There are always ways to recover. But they will take some time. So move your home garden in, plant and replant as needed, then get started on the lawn as soon as possible!
Repair your lawn by filling in bald spots
Bare, bald spots that give your lawn a patchy appearance are most definitely not pretty. They are, however, one of the most common problems you can have with your lawn. There’s a number of things that can cause this issue, from accidental fertilizer or pesticide spills to the lack of sunlight in particular spots to soil problems. The fix is relatively straight-forward and simple. But it’s important to find the underlying cause of the issue and eliminate it as well! Otherwise, all the repair will be for nothing as the problem will come back.
Patch with grass
If you intend on fixing the bald spots by seeding grass, start with mowing your lawn as closely as possible without clipping the crowns of the plants. Then remove the clipped grass and disturb the exposed soil with a rake to prepare it for new seeds. Finally, sow the seeds thickly in the area you are repairing following instructions for new lawns and lawn repair. You may also want to cover the area with a bit or topsoil or compost to encourage plant growth, but this isn’t necessary.
Patch with sod
Patching bald areas with sod is the quickest and easiest way of dealing with them. If you’ve recently moved from out of the country and feel unfamiliar with Canadian weather conditions, you may not have a good grasp on when to plant which plants. With sod, this isn’t a problem. You can lay sod any time of the year! You just need to keep it moist while you prepare the area in the same way you would for patching with seeds. Then cut the strip you need, lay it snugly so it fits with the rest of the lawn and walk over it to settle it. Follow up with often and generous waterings.
Repair a lawn with persistently thin grass
If your lawn is chronically thin and patchy regardless of what you do and how you maintain it, the problem is most likely in the soil itself or other conditions that aren’t suitable for the grass you have. The best course of action is to start with a soil test and discover what the issue may be. Then you can adjust the acidity or nutritiousness of the soil with additives. If the soil isn’t the issue, poor sunlight may be. Since you can’t really change the weather, the best thing you can do in these situations is to change the grass instead!
Pick the right type of grass
Not all grass thrives in the same conditions. If your lawn is in an area that doesn’t get much sunlight, you want to plant one of the shade-tolerant variants of turfgrass to give your lawn the best chance at success. If that isn’t enough, consider alternatives like bishop’s hat or sweet woodruff.
Repair an infested lawn
Infestation can come in many forms from stubborn weeds to bugs. And you should most definitely be worried if you see any grubs in your lawn because those feed on plant roots which can cause serious problems for your lawn. The best way to deal with pests of all kinds is to keep an eye out for them and eliminate them as soon as they appear!
Don’t repair – start over instead!
At the end of the day, all we can do is our best. And sometimes the best we can do is start over. If your lawn is beyond repair, cut your losses and don’t waste any more resources on it! Mow closely, dig up the soil, add some compost and reseed or lay down new sod. The results will be worth it!