Lawn Renovation: 7 Tips to Help Transform an Unhealthy Looking Lawn

Posted on: Feb 06, 2019Jordyn Rowntree

Everyone is capable of having a beautiful lawn with a little renovation!

We’ve all been there. Your lawn is covered in brown, decaying grass and bare spots. It might have been the result of one mistake or a few but that’s okay. Everyone is capable of having a beautiful lawn so long as they are steadfast with care and maintenance. Here are seven tips to conduct a successful ‘lawn renovation,’ transforming an unhealthy looking lawn into a lush, green lawn.

1. Use a Pre-emergent Herbicide

First things first, you need to not only stop weeds dead in their tracks but also from growing altogether. Wherever you see weeds, pull them from root to stem. Invest in a pre-emergent herbicide and spread it across your grass to stop the seeds of weeds from germinating without negatively impacting the already established plants.

2. Cut Your Grass With Precision

Sharpen those blades to ensure you get a nice, precise cut lawn. Ragged cuts lead to brown, decaying grass that looks unhealthy. Set the cutting height on your mower to between 2.5 and 3 inches. This height is optimal for cutting because it keeps grass tall and tall grass grows in stronger and healthier.

3. Water Your Grass Deeply

Don’t just turn on the sprinkler every day for fifteen minutes. Watering is about quality over quantity. It’s better to water your grass once a week deeply and slowly. During the summer, water your grass 1 inch every three to four days and once a week during the rest of milder months.

4. Invest in a High Quality Seed

New variants of grass have been improved through the power of science to yield a finer textured, greener and more resilient grass. If you purchase cheap seed, the result will be a coarser texture, which is a less resilient variant and browns easier.

5. Aerate Your Grass

Using an aerating tool, perforate small holes in your soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to make their way to grassroots. Aeration is a quintessential part of lawn care and maintenance and should never be overlooked.

6. Invest in a Mulching Mower

Simply put, mulching mowers are the best mowers to bring an unhealthy looking lawn back to life. Grass clippings are a fantastic fertilizer that can be easily spread across your grass with the help of a mulching mower.

7. Dethatch and Overseed

Thatch is a layer of dead organic material that builds up on top of your grass, which stops nutrients from getting to the grassroots. Using a rake, you can scarify the surface and remove thatch that is causing your lawn to decay.