Marianne's Response

kathinkg’s Question

Hi, Marianne–

Our lawn has never looked superb, but it usually looks better at this time of year than it does now. I have uploaded a photo to help you diagnose our problems. I know we have moss, but we also have a lot of dead looking patches. From a distance the lawn doesn’t look too bad, but I really want to bump it up. What do you suggest as a plan? This part of the lawn, on the west side of the house, gets a lot of afternoon sun. Thank you for any help you can give me!

Posted by Kathy Gelzer on November 27, 2013

Marianne's Response

Hi there - so sorry but I could not find any attached photo - did you perhaps post it to the general site? No worries, I can recommend these steps for a most improved lawn. In March or when you see daffodils blooming, aerate the lawn using a core aerator. Next spread 1 to 2 inches of fresh topsoil and add a starter fertilizer made for new grass seed. Rake all the topsoil level, filling in the dips and bare spots. Let the soil settle a few weeks, then rake again. Finally spread lawn seed on top of the new soil using the back of the rake to just barely cover the seed. The old lawn will push up through the topsoil but the new seeds will provide a fresh start. If your soil is compacted you should try a liquid lawn aerator to loosen the soil. One trade name is \"Lazy Man Lawn Aerator\" and can be found online or you can use dolomite lime (this works slowly to break up clay soil) or add organic matter like compost to improve the soil before you reseed. Moss is a symptom of poor drainage, poor fertility and shade so improving the soil will get rid of the moss. (Sound like a lot of work? It is. You can also just embrace the moss and have a moss lawn.) Keep growing, Marianne Binetti