Improving A Thinning Lawn

Take a soil sample in the fall and perform and test to see what it's needing.  Fertilization in the fall helps the lawn recover from the stress of the summer months.  Generally, fertilizer (nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) is applied in a ratio of 1-4-1.  In some cases fertilizer applied very late in the season will keep the lawn green during the winter months and give the grass a boost in the early spring.

Patching thin spots is best done in the fall with the cooler weather.  If more than about 50% of the lawn are is bare or infested with weed species than complete renovation may be necessary.  The cooler fall temperatures will end the summer heat-induced dormancy, making it the perfect time of your for lawn renovation projects.

Detaching and aerating is ideally done in the fall as the cooler weather aids in rapid recovery.  The problem with disturbing the ground with these task in the spring is the fact that opportunistic weed seeds will try to germinate.  Basically, detaching and aerating will reduce soil compacting and allow water and nutrients to reach the deeper roots.

Related Articles: Lawn Care, Lawn Aeration, Lawn Alternatives, Shady Lawns