I transformed my lumpy, compacted lawn with my 8-step guide – my Mother’s Day tip will revive patchy grass before summer
A GREEN-FINGERED homeowner has revealed how changing their approach to lawn care each month gives them a thriving green carpet year-round.
They shared their step-by-step guide after being asked for tips on how to minimize weeds and bare patches.
The Reddit user took to the Colorado Springs forum to post their advice using the handle u/LoanSlinger.
They responded to a fellow Redditor curious about how they could prepare their lawn for summer.
“Right around Mother’s Day, put down grass seed over the entire lawn, but especially in patchy areas,” they advised.
“For the patchy areas, cover the grass seed with a light layer of high-quality compost.
“You’ll need to keep the seeds damp, so water your lawn lightly on days when it doesn’t rain (for a couple of weeks), and get the problem areas nice and wet with a hose/sprayer.
“Same time as the grass seed put down Richlawn fertilizer. Don’t overdo it.
“In July, put down Revive fertilizer.
“It’s not as strong as the Richlawn and won’t burn your lawn (which can happen if it’s too hot and the grass is stressed).
“In early September, put down the Richlawn again. Very light – especially if it’s still pretty hot and dry.
“In mid-October, aerate your lawn. Put down Winterizer fertilizer at the same time.”
Many homeowners avoid lawn care activities during the winter months as frost and ice can harm the grass.
The gardening enthusiast said March is the best time to aerate lawns.
According to DIY.com, aeration involves poking small holes into the soil beneath the lawn to improve air circulation.
This helps with nutrient and water consumption as well as reduces lawn compaction, helping to prevent moss growth.
“Put down crabgrass killer (not the kind with fertilizer in it – just the crabgrass control) around the first or second week of April,” the Redditor said.
“It needs to be down for six weeks before grass seed is put down. If you put it down too early while the average soil temps are too low, it will be useless.
Easy gardening tips to save money, maximize space, and repel pests
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- Banana peels, vinegar, and coffee grounds are often recommended as natural fertilizers.
- Dollar Tree sells four packs of seeds for $1.25.
- Try a vertical planter like Amazon’s Mr. Stacky 5 Tier Stackable Planter, $35 to make more use of a small space.
- Use netting like the Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, from Amazon to keep away bugs that eat your vegetables.
- Try sacrificial planting to reduce the use of pesticides and keep pests away from your garden. Deliberately growing certain plants to attract agricultural pests can keep them away from the plants you want to protect. Examples include marigolds, lavender, catnip, and chives.
- For pesky weeds in your garden, the Grampa’s Weeder – The Original Stand-Up Weed Puller Tool with Long Handles, $45, from Amazon is a helpful tool you can use without having to bend over.
“If you put it down too late after the soil temps are warmer and the weed seeds have started germinating, it will be too late.
“Crabgrass is really tough to control once it sets in, unlike things like dandelions, which you can spot treat later.
“Water it in with a hose if you haven’t activated your sprinklers yet (which you really shouldn’t…I don’t do that until mid-May, I just water by hand if it’s really dry and doesn’t rain for more than a week).
“In mid-to-late April, put down humic acid granules and gypsum granules.
“These are natural soil conditioners that help the soil break down organic material better and use the fertilizer more efficiently.
“You might need to go to Ace or a local store to get these instead of a big box store. I get mine at Ace.”
The eight-step guide to lawncare was highly upvoted and people thanked the homeowner for sharing it.
The Redditor added that grass doesn’t need to be watered daily, but when it is being done it’s best to do it early in the morning.
“As in, start the zones at 4 am or so,” they said.
“When it’s really hot, I water three times during the week, but when it’s moderate I water just twice per week.
“I do it in stages; my irrigation timer lets me water each zone more than once.
“If you put down a lot of water at once, it will run off the clay soil and be wasted.
“So if, for example, you want to run a zone for 20 minutes, it’s better to do it for 10 minutes, let it go to the other zones, then come back and hit the same zone again for 10 minutes after like 20 minutes have elapsed.”