Can you revive a worn out lawn?
After the worse of the winter weather is over the turfed areas of the garden can look worn and shabby. There may be mole hills appearing in the lawn or other wildlife such as squirrels and badgers may have dug into the turf in search of food leaving areas of the lawn looking patchy and unkempt. Is it possible to revive a lawn that has suffered in this way or is it better to start again with fresh turf?
The cost of returfing a large area of lawn will be considerable and so if it is possible to bring the lawn back to its former glory it is worth doing to make it lush and green once more.
The initial task when trying to tidy up a lawned area is to remove any debris such as leaves, twigs and dead plants from the lawn as this will allow the gardener to assess the state of the grass and make decisions about what to do next. A lawn rake with its wide prongs can be used to do this and as well as raking up the debris it will also help to remove moss from the lawn. Moss in a lawn will kill off the grass and so it is important to remove it if possible. Moss that is removed can be left out for birds to use as nesting material.
It is at this stage that you can have a good look at the lawn and identify any weeds that are growing in the grass. As you are examining the lawn, get rid of any weeds by pulling them out so that they will not benefit from the fertiliser that you will be putting on the lawn later. Buttercups, dandelions and plantain are the main culprits which grow in our lawns and if left and not removed they can soon take over a lawn.
Once the weeds are removed the next tasks is to aerate the topsoil of the lawn as it can get waterlogged and compacted over the winter months. A purpose made spike aerator can be used but a garden fork can be equally as effective at aerating the lawn. The next step to getting that lush, green lawn is to use a good quality grass seed and sprinkle it on bare patches to the recommended quantity, covering the seed with a fine layer of compost to prevent birds eating the seed before it starts to germinate. Once the grass starts to grow, a superior quality fertiliser should be applied to the turf which will provide nutrients for the turf and make the grass appear greener.