Is your lawn not looking the best? There is a way to fix all types of lawn damage. Whether due to hot weather, drought, improper mowing, or compacted soil, the neglect can significantly damage your lawn. Damaged lawns then become weak, sparse, dead, and visually unpleasant. So, repairing a damaged lawn is important to restore the beauty and appeal of your yard. With proper repairs and care, you can ensure the lawn stays healthy and lush for years.
In this post below, we will walk you through a few common reasons for damaged lawns and how to repair the issues. We will also mention what is the best time of the year to carry out these repairs. If you are interested, keep on reading.
Types of Lawn Damage
Is your lawn looking patchy, sparse, or dead? There could be a few common reasons that could be the cause of lawn damage in a short time. Let’s discuss different types of lawn damage so you can identify the problem and find a solution for that.
- Diseases: Lawn diseases can severely damage your lawn within 24 hours by causing unsightly patches. These diseases can either weaken the grass or cause lesions and dead patches all over. There are different types of diseases, such as brown patch, dollar spot, fairy ring, leaf blight, and leaf spot. Other common lawn diseases in Ontario include melting out, necrotic ring spot, powdery mildew, pythium blight, red thread, and slime mold. However, a well-maintained and thick lawn can keep all these diseases at bay.
- Weeds: Weeds are living plants that cannot produce food through photosynthesis and will eventually die due to starvation, making your lawn look unsightly and unkempt. They can negatively impact the health of your lawn as they compete with neighboring healthy plants and grass for sunlight, water, and nutrients. Since it cannot produce food, it weakens healthy grass and makes it prone to lawn diseases, infestation, and drought. So, even if you apply fertilizer to boost grass growth, weeds will soak up all the nutrients and will take over your healthy lawn.
- Insects: Indeed, a healthy and lush lawn looks pleasing to the eye, but there can be a few problems that can damage the appearance and health of your lawn. One such issue is lawn-damaging insects. These insects are hard to detect but can severely damage the lawn by feeding on the roots, crowns, blades, and stems of the grass. Some of the most common lawn insects include white grubs, leatherjacket, chinch bugs, sod webworms, billbugs, cutworms, and armyworms. To get rid of these insects, you must hire lawn care maintenance. These professionals can detect these bugs and treat them to ensure your lawn is insect-free, healthy, and lush.
- Pet Damage: Dog urine contains nitrogen that helps grow grass. In fact, most fertilizers contain nitrogen as a critical nutrient that promotes grass growth. However, too much dog urine concentrated in a small area can damage the grass by burning it and leaving brown patches of dead grass. It is like over-fertilizing the lawn and scorching it. Additionally, repeatedly running over the same area can cause wear problems and damage the grass severely until you seed the area.
- Physical Damage: Physical damage to the lawn is mainly caused by too much foot traffic, over-applying chemical products, and construction. Foot traffic often leads to compacted soil that can stop the essential nutrients and water from reaching the roots of the grass. This can damage the roots of the grass and hinder its growth. The use of chemical fertilizer can also lead to severe lawn damage, and only professionals like Custodia can repair the damage.
How to Repair a Damaged Grass?
When it comes to repairing damaged grass in Ontario, it is recommended that a reliable lawn maintenance service like Custodia be hired with the experience, staff, and equipment to repair all types of damage. The most common ways to repair a damaged lawn include:
Weeding
If weeds have invaded your turf, you must look for a professional weed removal service in Ontario to get rid of it before it causes further lawn damage. Professionals like Custodia will identify the root cause of the damage, test the soil, and develop a plan to solve the issues. They will start with lawn mowing to cut weeds and water the lawn to stop weed invasion, as they only thrive in dry and hot weather.
Professional weed removal service will also apply fertilizer to reduce weed growth and promote grass growth so that your yard will go back to its glory. Since the fall has just started, it is the best time to sign up with professionals to fertilize your yard. If needed, lawn maintenance service will aerate the lawn, overseed the grass, and treat any diseases to restore the beauty of the lawn. (Read more about What Kills Weeds But Not Grass In Canada?)
Seeding
Seeding is another method to repair damaged grass, which is a pretty simple process. However, seniors must hire professionals like Custodia to remove any dead grass, weeds, and other damaged areas to prepare the lawn for seeding. After removing weeds, dead grass, and debris, professionals then loosen up the soil to prepare it for seeding and create an environment to promote seed germination and growth.
Next, they apply grass seed and cover it with a thin layer of compost to ensure the soil retains moisture for growth. Finally, you want to water the newly seeded area regularly to ensure the grass is established beautifully. However, if you are preparing your damaged lawn for colder days, overseeding is the best option.
Mowing
Lawn mowing is one of the best ways to identify the problem areas and remove any debris and damaged grass. This method also promotes the root growth in new seeds that you will be seeding in damaged areas to reestablish the grass. However, to achieve your desired results make sure to mow the lawn regularly.
Once the grass reaches about 4 inches in height, it is recommended to mow it regularly and maintain a height between 1.5 and 3 inches. For seniors, it can be challenging and tiring to run the mower to keep the lawn. Therefore, they should hire a grass cutting service like Custodia for regular maintenance and upkeep.
What is the Best Time to Repair a Damaged Lawn in Ontario
While there are many methods to repair a damaged lawn in Ontario, what really matters is the time of repairs. Whether you want to overseed the lawn or fertilize it, knowing when to carry out these repairs will help you achieve your desired results. So, here is what you need to know about the best time to repair a damaged lawn.
Fall for Overseeding
If your lawn has become thin and damaged due to pests, diseases, heavy foot traffic, drought, or any other reason, the solution is overseeding. The best time for grass seeding is the beginning of fall, usually between mid-August to mid-September. This is the ideal time for overseeding and repairing thin and damaged lawns because the warm and cool temperature of the soil promotes germination. This perfect temperature allows for nutrients to get absorbed into the soil before going dormant in winter.
Spring, Summer, and Fall for Fertilizing
In Ontario, the best time to fertilize the lawn depends on the season as well as the grass type. Typically, Canadian homeowners can fertilize their yards every 6 to 8 weeks to maintain healthy, lush grass. The first fertilization should be applied in early spring or mid-April once the grass has started to grow. The second application should be done around late spring/early summer to promote grass growth further. Again, apply fertilization at the end of the summer to prepare your lawn for colder days. The last application should occur in early fall to support root growth and prepare your lawn for the winter.
Spring or Early Fall for Aerating
The best time to aerate your lawn is during the growth season, which is spring and early fall. Aerating promotes deeper root growth and soil drainage to ensure all the nutrients reach the roots, contributing to the overall health of the lawn. So, in the spring, you need to aerate the lawn between March and May when the soil is moist but not too wet. Similarly, in the early fall, prepare the lawn for colder days to promote deeper root growth and ensure the grass will grow after winter. ( Related read, Is Aerating A Lawn Worth It In Ontario)
Spring or Early Fall to Repair Bare Patches
Bare patches allow weed to take over, and to prevent that, make sure to repair them in spring or early fall (April or September). Spring is considered best because the soil is not too hot, and you can repair all the winter damage by regular watering. Similarly, fall is ideal because the soil is not too cold yet, and consistent rainfall ensures uniform seed germination and growth.
Summary
Maintaining a lawn and repairing the damages regularly can be a challenging task. However, with the help of professionals who can remove weeds, treat insects, repair pet damage, mow grass, and water it regularly, seniors can enjoy a well-kept and lush lawn.