Introduction
According to Handy, even the most beautiful lawns and yards can turn dull and look dead if it is not maintained properly or due to a variety of other reasons such as insect infestations. Fortunately, it is possible to revive a bleak lawn with some care and by following the correct lawn revival tactics.
The Ways
Here are a few ways to invigorate your lovely yard:
- Test the soil and supply the missing nutrients – When the soil doesn’t receive the necessary nutrients, it is bound to decline in health. The best way to know what type of nutrient your soil lacks is to submit a soil test to a certified lab in your area.
Once you get the soil test results back, you can use it as a guide to supply the soil with the necessary nutrients such as organic fertilizers, mineral fertilizers, and more.
- Aerate the lawn – Over time, the soil in your yard can turn compact with regular foot traffic and mowing which can result in less air circulation, insufficient nutrient absorption, and inefficient water drainage. The hard and compact soil also prevents earthworms from working their magic.
Thus, it becomes essential to aerate your soil in order to keep it healthy and restore its former glory. Typically, it is sufficient to aerate your lawn at least once a year. If you have a small to medium size lawn, you can aerate your lawn using handheld aerating tools by punching 3-inch-deep holes throughout the lawn. Alternatively, you can rent an aerating machine if you have a large lawn.
- Use organic and natural fertilizers – It is much better to use natural fertilizer instead of adding artificial fertilizers to keep your lawn soil healthy. Adding natural fertilizers are known to create much more greener and fertile lawns. Plus, they are healthier for the environment and your family and pets as well.
Using the grass clippings generated during mowing the lawn is a great idea. You can simply leave the grass cuttings on the lawn since they act as natural mulch. Thus, they reduce the need for fertilizer, enhance the soil texture, help the grass retain water, and reduce waste.
You can also add the grass clippings to a compost bin along with kitchen wastes to create nutrient-rich natural fertilizer on your own. Compost helps to stimulate root growth, attract beneficial worms, insects, and microorganisms, reduce soil-borne plant diseases, improve water drainage in sandy and clay soils, prevent soil erosion, and balance the pH level of the soil.
- Till the lawn with worms – You can use sheet mulching techniques to invite worms to burrow through the soil and save yourself the time and back-breaking effort it takes to till the soil manually. Yes, sheet mulching takes some planning, but it is well worth it since the worm manure castings improve soil structure and build fresh nutrient-rich soil that can rejuvenate your yard.
Conclusion
Handy suggests you water your lawn deeply but less often to encourage the grass to grow deeper into the soil and stay green during periods of extremely hot weather. Usually, watering your grass once a week with 1 inch of water is sufficient to see good results
