The Fall is closing in and we are now at the time when we must help our lawns get ready for next Spring. The key is to get good root growth and good nourishment to our lawns over the winter months. This lawn recovery procedure 1st step program will get you started.
Aeration Process
You basically are removing core plugs out of your lawn by using a core aeration machine that digs down into your soil to extract a few inches long plug with a diameter of about an inch.
This process will help to unpack your soil resulting in your grassroots spreading and growing deeper. Because they are able to grow stronger it will make the top growth thicker and look more presentable in the Spring.
You can rent these machines from your local home center or if you don’t have a very big yard you might want to do it without any machine at all. This will be totally up to you.
Fertilization
After we aerate the lawn we want to focus on root growth so that our lawn is really strong in the Spring. Using a starter fertilizer will help us to get good growth out of our grassroots. We can add this at 3lbs per 1000 square foot.
We also will fair well to add some nitrogen to the lawn. The nitrogen boost to the soil will aid in the growth process. We can do this by adding an organic fertilizer such as Milorganite along with the starter fertilizer. Add this one at 7lbs per 1000 square foot.
Plant Some Seed
This is a great time to add some grass seed so you can thicken the lawn especially for those thin spots you may have. Plus you got the soil opened up and it is a great time to add the seed for better germination.
The type of seed you use will depend on the region you reside in. Click here to get an idea of which seed would work for your area.
What will also help is to do some weed control afterward so that your grass does not have to fight for the new nutrients you are supplying it.
Below is a video to give you a more in-depth explanation of how this will help your lawn in the upcoming Spring.
Conclusion
As the video mentioned you need to keep your lawn properly watered and mowed until the cold sets in and the grass are now dormant and not growing.
Steps 2 & 3 will follow next week.
I hope this was some valuable information to all who read this post and feel free to leave any questions or comments in the comments section below. Please look into Old School Lawn Supplies if you need any lawn equipment or products.
Ronnie,
Thanks for sharing. I for one, find this information helpful and have printed this out as a guide. Since I am newly divorced, I am left with the daunting task of getting the lawn ready for next spring. Nobody told me I have to start now. I thought Spring would be a good time to start. I was clueless…well still am.
You can do some this in the early spring as well If you live in a cool climate. But fall is more practical because the roots are being nourished all winter long for a wonderful start in the Spring. Keep checking in because I always have lawn care tips throughout the year.
Great post. I’m always asking when is the best time to do the aerating and seeding. Think I missed the boat last year and boy did my lawn show it. Was kinda embarrassing, to say the least. Thanks for the info. I’ll keep this page handy.
Well, I see you know the difference of a maintained lawn against one that isn’t. I don’t know which region you live in but that is what will determine it. Take a look by clicking here for more information on planting seeds.
Hi, thank you for the helpful information. Lawn care is quite a struggle for me, generally because I am usually too lazy to even think about it, but this is some helpful information!
I think a lot of people may want to do it but because it is not something they normally do, they shay away from it. But if you took the time to do it one time and seen the results you might become hooked on it and it would be just something you do. Your lawn will show you some love for it.
My lawn is a mess. I have no idea what to do and I had no idea that I needed to do this. At the start of summer, I was ‘eager’ and bought some grass seeds. Attempted to spread them evenly all over our yard. Saw no results! So I gave up. *sigh*
I’ll need to come back to your site more often.
Thanks for sharing this. I’m going to check out steps 2 & 3 now. 🙂
It could be that you did not use the proper seed for where you are. Click here to see if this will help you out. Click here as well this will give you some good information.
I didn’t know that lawn needs a recovery… thank you for sharing this important info and for this useful video. Great reading!
Yes, if you want to help your lawn come out strong in the Spring this will help it out a lot. It can recover on its own as well but with your help, it will recover that much better.