What Is The Best Implement To Drag Behind Small Tractor To Repair Damaged Lawn

Be Your Own Lawn-Care Professional

Homeowners actually love their lawns. We honey them and so much, in fact, that nosotros lavish affection on our turfs—to the tune of $40 billion a yr—in the form of fertilizer, weed and pest controls, and one thousand-care equipment. Simply buying stuff in hopes of having a lush backyard has null to exercise with really knowing how to grow one.

That'south why we've assembled all of your toughest lawn care questions and a TOH pro's answer to each one. It'southward all here: From seeding a brand new lawn and maintenance musts, to how to win the war on weeds and keep your mower in elevation shape. So forget hiring landscapers! Y'all can be your own lawn-care professional— at a fraction of the cost.

Getting Started & Maintenance Musts

Reading a Seed Bag Label

Q: Can you assist me decipher all the information on my bag of grass seed?

A: Hither'southward what each of the important label elements (shown left) mean:

A_Pure Seed: Look for a blend of two or more varieties. A single variety is more than susceptible to beingness wiped out by disease.

B_Variety: Every common grass, such as tall fescue, should have a multifariousness name. If no variety name is listed, information technology's a lower quality seed.

C_Other Crop Seed: These are annual grasses, such as winter wheat or rye. Exist wary if there's more than than 2.five per centum.

D_Inert Matter: This is the stuff that won't abound, such equally dirt and broken seeds. More than 3 pct is a red flag, unless information technology's a seed coating meant to enhance germination.

E_Weed Seed: No bag is completely weed-free, but avoid ones with more than 0.ii percentage of these seeds.

F_Noxious Weeds: The best bags volition have none of these invasive plants.

G_Tested: Similar to an expiration date. Walk away from bags with a test date more than one year former.

Making Bad Soil Ameliorate

Q: The contractors who cleaned upward the oil spill on our property tried three times to plant grass on the fill they brought in, but simply weeds came up. I'g enclosing a package of the fill up for your inspection. What volition we have to practise to get a nice backyard?

—Margaret Kachur, Rahway, N.J.

A: Roger Melt replies: In that location's no style grass is going to grow in that rocky soil. It should have been screened before it was delivered to remove all the stones, twigs, and other debris.

Here's what to do. First, remove the top iv inches of fill up and discard it. Then dig up about 2 cups of soil and transport information technology—without rocks and twigs—to be tested by your local cooperative extension service. They'll transport you dorsum a study letting you know what nutrients it needs.

While you lot're waiting for the report to come back, start by loosening up the fill with a rototiller. So add 2 inches of sand and rototill again, followed by 2 inches of compost. Till that in, also. At present, course the area with a rake and remove as much large debris from the surface as you lot tin can.

When you lot go the soil report, add together the nutrients information technology calls for, plus a starter fertilizer for lawns, so rake in the seed. Keep the area moist, and I'll bet you lot'll soon be rewarded with a thick crop of grass seedlings.

When to Constitute Grass Seed

Q: What's the best time of year to institute grass seed? And should I seed and fertilize at the aforementioned time?

— Rick, Seymour, CT

A: Roger Melt replies: In much of the state, grass seed is all-time planted before or after summertime. That's primarily because information technology'due south almost impossible to keep new seed moist in the summer without virtually constant watering. The other problem with summer planting is that the soil prep work opens upward the surface area to weed seeds, which readily germinate in the estrus. (If you merely must plant in hot weather, mulch the planting surface area with a light layer of peat moss or similar cloth to foreclose the seed from drying out.)

Where you live, and throughout much of the northern half of the U.Southward., early on fall is the best time for sowing grass. The soil is warm, but daytime temperatures are moderate, making watering less of a problem, and the weeds won't abound. I'll start seeding in the last week of August and will push into the showtime week of October if I have to. By the cool days of late Oct, the new grass should be fresh and thick and potent enough to survive the winter.

Apply a starter fertilizer when you sow the seeds, and so add more fertilizer 3 to four weeks afterward. That'due south necessary because all the watering yous do to brand the seeds sprout actually leaches the first application of fertilizer out of the height layer of soil, putting the rest beyond the reach of the young roots.

Shortcut to Skip

Q: Is it possible to plant seeds and mulch at the aforementioned time, or should I expect until afterwards the seeds accept come?

—Barb, Worthington, Minnesota

A: Roger Cook replies: If yous mulch at the same fourth dimension you institute seeds, chances are your seeds won't germinate. The mulch tin can literally smother new seedlings, or keep the soil so cool that the seeds can't germinate. I know information technology'southward hard to mulch after the seeds have germinated, but yous will have to take your fourth dimension and carefully mulch around the seedlings.

One solution is to germinate your seeds in flats or six-pack trays. Then y'all can mulch your beds first, then, when the seedlings are properly rooted, plant them through the mulch and into the soil.

Fertilizing Facts

Q: I forgot to fertilize last fall! Am I doomed?

— John Farrow, Boise, Idaho

A: If you lot didn't fertilize last fall, resist the urge to double up in the bound. Dumping more fertilizer than the lawn needs in the spring is wasteful and can burn your turf. Instead, spread 32-0-iv grass fertilizer after the first mowing, and then once again four to half-dozen weeks later. Organic lawn food, such equally corn-gluten meal or a mix of plume, bone, and claret meals, works more than slowly than synthetic fertilizers, and then the backyard will have an extra week to dark-green upward.

Shown: TOH landscape contractor Roger Cook relies on a broadcast spreader to add together fertilizer because it reduces the chance of missing a section, which can lead to unsightly growth patterns.

Compost for Lawns

Q: How much compost should I spread on my lawn in the fall?

—Sue Fusconi, Stonington, Conn.

A: Roger Melt replies: Compost is a corking way to nourish roots and make a lawn stronger and greener. If you just spread compost on the surface, and then ane/2 inch is about all you lot can add at one time without harming the grass. Merely you lot'll go much better results if y'all aerate the lawn first and get the compost down where information technology will exercise the most good.

The best fashion to do this is with a cadre aerator, which peppers the lawn with 2- to 3-inch-deep holes so air and nutrients can reach the roots. You tin rent one and do the work yourself or turn it over to a lawn pro. After aerating, spread one/ii to one inch of compost over the lawn and piece of work information technology in with a plastic leafage rake. While you're at it, this would be a good time to add your usual fall fertilizer. Finally, give the lawn a good watering to piece of work the compost downwardly into the holes.

By the way, fall is about the best fourth dimension to do this work. Aerating whatever earlier in the year encourages weeds to become a offset.

The State of war Confronting Weeds

Nontoxic Weed Killers

Q: Could you please recommend a weed killer that is prophylactic to use where children and pets play?

—Sara, Iowa Metropolis, Iowa

A: Roger Melt replies: I can't recommend a specific product, simply I do have some suggestions for you so you don't have to utilize a large amount of weed killer. Remember that the stronger your backyard is, the fewer weeds you'll have to deal with in the first place. Fertilizing properly, adding lime to control acerbity, mowing to the correct peak, and watering and aerating regularly will all promote a stronger lawn. Pruning or removing copse to promote more sunlight is also important.

If y'all are going to utilise a weed control, talk to your local garden center. Notice someone knowledgeable almost weed control chemicals and have him or her become over the label with yous. With a granular formula, the whole yard is covered. To cut down on the amount of weed killer you will need, consider a liquid instead. You tin put information technology into a minor sprayer and walk the yard with it, spraying only the areas that need it. Whether y'all apply a granular or liquid formula, always wear protective article of clothing and condom boots when yous do the application, advisedly follow the directions on the container, and keep children and pets off the treated area for 48 hours.

Keep in mind that a few weeds won't ruin your lawn. Nosotros all have a motion-picture show in our minds of the "perfect" lawn. I think we should redefine the "perfect" lawn as a lawn that is useable and chemical-free, where nosotros use as little fertilizer and water equally possible to achieve this "new" look.

Using Vinegar to Kill Weeds

Q: After reading your article on backyard intendance in a past TOH issue, I tried out household vinegar every bit an organic weed control on some dandelions in my backyard. Within a couple of days, they looked pretty dead. Could I apply this method to kill the existing lawn?

— Marker, by electronic mail

A: Roger Cook replies: Vinegar, or acerb acrid, is one of the newest things in weed control. When sprayed on, it has an nigh firsthand affect, as yous discovered. The trouble is that it doesn't kill the roots, so some weeds abound back over time.

To impale a backyard completely, yous could spray the household vinegar on weeds and grass that are actively growing, and after a few days, follow up with glyphosate (Roundup) on anything still alive; that would greatly reduce the corporeality of herbicide y'all need. Or, you lot could apply another dose or ii of vinegar before Rototilling and reseeding. You may get a few weeds, merely don't use vinegar or herbicides on them yet. Wait until you've cut the new grass three or 4 times before launching another chemical assail.

Killing Weeds Without Stressing Grass

Q: What do I use to impale the weeds in my lawn without stressing the grass? What fertilizer should I apply and how often?

—Jennifer, Dayton, Ohio

A: Roger Cook replies: There are several products that will kill weeds without stressing the lawn. You should get to your local garden center and ask for their recommendation. If possible, tell them exactly what kind of weeds you have in your lawn. At that place are weed killers used on walks, patios, driveways, and bed areas that will impale grass as well, so make certain they understand what you are trying to do. When treating weeds in a backyard I like to spot spray. This allows me to only treat the areas that need it, using the least corporeality of herbicide. On big areas you volition probably need to utilize a granular herbicide peat with a spreader. Be careful to follow all directions on the bag. To stop the lawn from stressing out, make sure it is well watered before whatsoever herbicide application.

Here in New England I fertilize 4 times a year: Apr/May, mid-June, early September, and early November. In the Apr and Nov applications, I utilize a high-phosphorous fertilizer. (The phosphorous content is indicated past the eye number in the formula). This may be labeled as a starter or fall fertilizer. In June and September, I use a fertilizer higher in nitrogen (indicated by the first number in the formula), considering nitrogen promotes top growth.

Combatting Crabgrass

Q: I brought in some soil this jump to level a few low spots in the backyard and planted grass seed. Now I'g plagued with crabgrass. What can I do about it?

—Phil DeLuca, Jr., Alsip, ILl.

A: Roger Cook replies: Life would be and so like shooting fish in a barrel if simply we could settle for crabgrass-covered lawns. Hither's the problem. When you constitute grass in the spring, any crabgrass seed that's around—and at that place'south plenty of information technology—will germinate and outcompete your delicate grass seedlings, particularly in a sunny location.

That'due south why I adopt to establish grass in the autumn, when crabgrass won't fight you lot. Grass seedlings love the absurd, moisture weather condition, and by the end of the growing season you lot'll take a reasonable stand of grass. Then, in the bound, use a pre-emergent weed control that volition stop whatsoever crabgrass seeds from germinating.

Bothersome Bermuda Grass

Q: I spent last year spraying the yard with a herbicide to get rid of a large crop of weeds — mostly Bermuda grass. Now that I'g fix to constitute, the weeds have gotten worse in the backyard. I sprayed the whole yard equally, allow the weeds die, tilled the yard under, waited for the regrowth, and repeated the actions. Why is there a massive regrowth in the back yard but not the front? And what can I exercise to get rid of the weeds once and for all?

—Geoff, Toledo, Ohio

A: Roger Cook replies: It may be that your back yard is sunnier than the forepart and promotes more growth. Or there is a greater source for the weed seeds in the back yard than the front. Identifying the weeds may besides aid you discover the problem. With some grasses, if they are non completely dead when yous rotate, every piffling slice can send out new growth. If the weeds are blowing in you may exist able to identify the source and eliminate them. Covering the dorsum 1000 with plastic will go on the weeds from regenerating, just plastic is cruddy. Weed barrier may be a ameliorate solution. Another choice is to get a covering on the ground: mulch, grass, and ground encompass will all provide contest for the weeds. Also the timing of your spraying is critical. Here in New England spraying in June and July knocks down the weeds before they ready seeds. The end of August and early on September is the perfect fourth dimension to roto-till and install a lawn.

As well Many Mushrooms

Q: Two years ago, later some trees were removed at the front of our house, the stump holes were filled with compost and seeded with grass. This year, along with the grass, nosotros have tiny mushrooms that pop up in peachy profusion subsequently information technology rains. Can we become rid of them without killing our lawn?

—Dave Williams, Springfield, MO.

A: Roger Cook replies: When you removed the stumps, y'all probably left behind most of the roots—and a lot of ground-up stump. That all serves equally food for the network of underground fungi from which mushrooms sprout. And you lot probably lavished water on the new grass, didn't you? Bingo, the perfect weather condition for growing a bumper crop of mushrooms.

Rather than waiting for them to disappear, which could take quite a while, do the following:

• Cut back on watering and reduce fertilizer utilise to a minimum.

• Pull upward whatsoever caps as soon equally they appear. That doesn't get rid of the underground mucus, but it stops spores from existence released.

• Core-aerate the lawn in the fall and dethatch it in the jump; both of these encourage drainage and help dry out the soil.

• If none of these does the play a trick on, dig out all the buried roots, and start over with fresh soil. Only be aware, yous might be in for a lot of digging.

Q: Can I but mow downwardly the mushrooms that ingather up in abundance in my lawn later it rains?

—Alex, Bellevue, Washington

A: Roger Cook replies: Absolutely. These are but the fruiting bodies of fungi that are working in your soil. They will decompose after you mow them simply probably reappear again subsequently heavy rain.

Battling Bamboo

Q: When we moved into our house, we had a lot of bamboo growing on a hill beside a river. Every spring the bamboo shoots up and I take to cutting it down weekly. Is there annihilation I can practice to get rid of the bamboo permanently?

—Kevin, Pasadena, MD

A: Roger Cook replies: Likewise bad you can't hire a panda to practice this job. They happily eat up to 35 pounds of bamboo a day. Merely with pandas in short supply, the only practical way to get rid of bamboo is to go along cutting it down to ground level or spray it with an herbicide, or both.

A small chainsaw volition make short work of the mature stalks. Follow up with a weekly trim using a lawn mower. Also, go along an eye out for shoots beyond the perimeter of the grove; some bamboos will send underground runners, called rhizomes, up to 25 feet from their base. By next season, hopefully, your bamboo volition be gone.

If y'all decide to use chemicals on your bamboo, glyphosate-based herbicides are usually effective. Be sure to follow the instructions exactly: They kill whatsoever establish they come in contact with, and you don't want them to achieve the river. One approach I've found to be effective is to allow the bamboo shoots grow to two or three anxiety in early spring, then spray them with herbicide. And so every time a new shoot reaches that height, spray again.

Here's another option to consider: Rather than eliminate your grove entirely, cut it back to a manageable size, then comprise it with a physical bulwark. One off-the-shelf product uses thick interlocking polyethylene sheets buried about three feet in the footing. Containment systems do require vigilance because rhizomes will try to grow over the barrier. If any of them succeed, y'all'll demand to remove them.

Past the way, not all bamboo is such a headache. "Clump-forming" bamboo is not invasive and doesn't call for heroic containment efforts.

Killing Moss Without Killing Grass

Q: Is there away to kill the moss in my backyard without killing the grass?

—Jake, Nashville, Tennessee

A: Roger Cook replies: In that location are several moss killers on the market that you can apply to the backyard. These work for the short term, but moss will return. Moss is an indication of an acidic lawn or likewise much shade on the backyard. Do a soil test on the lawn and apply lime to reduce the lawn's acidity. To reduce shading, check trees around the area and prune or remove them every bit needed.

For more on the soil-testing kit shown here, encounter How to Seed a Backyard.

Creeping Charlie Takeover

Q: We have what the neighborhood nurseries call "creeping Charlie" growing all over our lawn. We've tried pulling information technology out, digging information technology upwardly, reseeding, overseeding, cutting the grass short, and leaving the grass long. Nothing seems to work. Assistance!

—Steve and Jan Christiansen, Palatine, Sick.

A: Roger Cook replies: Creeping Charlie, also called ground ivy or gill-over-the-ground, is a perennial and a highly invasive evergreen weed of the mint family unit. Information technology loves conditions that grass doesn't: shade, and soil that's wet, acidic, or compacted. So if y'all see this weed, it'southward a message that your lawn needs help.

Chemical weed killers might get rid of it, but unless you change the conditions that encourage this pest, it'll but come right back. Get a soil exam and add the nutrients or minerals that are missing. Prune or remove adjacent trees to admit more light. Reduce sources of excess water, such as runoff; don't overwater the grass; and run a core aerator over it in the fall to reduce compaction. Subsequently aerating, spread a mixture of compost and sand over the grass so that the soil will drain better. If you lot reseed a somewhat shady expanse, use a grass blend suitable for shade. And if yous even so take issues after all that, give upwards on grass and plant a noninvasive groundcover that'southward more to your liking.

Critter Control

Doggy-Burned Patches

Q: Concluding fall, after we moved to our new business firm, our domestic dog ruined various areas of the lawn with her urine. How do I rehabilitate these dead spots and go on more from forming?

—Jason Crownover, Westminster, Colo.

A: Roger Cook replies: Dog urine contains a high concentration of nitrogen, which kills grass the same mode too much fertilizer in 1 spot will "fire" a lawn.

To repair these burned areas, remove whatsoever clumps of dead grass and loosen the soil with a hand-held claw tool. Level the damaged area with fresh topsoil, sprinkle seed and rake it in lightly, so water often to encourage formation. If there are lots of spots that need reseeding, purchase one of the lawn-repair products that combine seed, fertilizer, and cellulose mulch in one purse. You can find them at pet stores and home centers.

To prevent futurity spotting, you have a couple of choices: Either follow your domestic dog around with a hose to dilute her urine or train her to go simply in one expanse, which you've covered with a thick layer of forest chips, mulch, or gravel. That's what I would do if it were my canis familiaris.

Getting Rid of Gophers

Q: We've been fighting gophers for the last 3 years. They've eaten the roots of my plants, and I've tried every remedy I've e'er heard of, including putting human hair in the tunnels. What can we do to win this war?

— Elizabeth, Cleveland, TN

A: Roger Cook replies: Wait on the bright side — at to the lowest degree you won't have to aerate your lawn this year. Seriously, though, gophers are wily, destructive pests that throw up large mounds of earth willy-nilly across the landscape and destroy gardens and crops. Hither'south a quick overview of the remedies for these rodents, but check with your local extension service on specifics that adjust your area.

First of all, stuffing things down a gopher hole, including pilus or those so-called sonic repellents, merely doesn't work. (Neither does dynamite, as Beak Murray proved in the motion-picture show Caddyshack.) I recommend box traps, which are the simplest and easiest type of gopher trap to use. You plant them in a main tunnel, which lies well-nigh 6 to 12 inches beneath the surface. (Detect information technology by probing the footing around a mound on the side where you see a plug of fresh earth.) And so, following the illustrated directions, dig downward and fix two traps with their open ends facing contrary directions into the tunnel. No bait is needed, but be certain to wear gloves when setting the traps. You don't want your scent to scare them away.

If you lot adopt not to trap, stay away from the poisons that incorporate strychnine. A poisoned gopher eaten past a cat, dog, or play a trick on volition poison that fauna likewise. Safer poisons use a bait laced with anticoagulants; internal bleeding kills the gopher (painlessly, I'thou told) without endangering other animals. Merely be sure to follow instructions for its safe use and disposal.

I've read that gophers tin't stand the odour of castor oil (tin can't say I blame them) and that spraying a diluted mix on the ground is enough to make them skedaddle. There'due south also some evidence that gophers don't similar mulch, so y'all could effort mulching a buffer surface area around plantings. Or you could encourage predators to come feast on your rich gopher supply — installing owl boxes in a nearby woods might be a good showtime.

Wasps Nesting in Lawn

Q: What can I practise to become rid of the yellow jackets living in the ground around my house?

—Ken McGarry, Chicago

A: Roger Cook replies: In that location are many kinds of wasps and bees that nest secret. Most are beneficial, not aggressive, and valuable as pollinators. But if you lot are sure that y'all have yellow jackets, the following strategies might get rid of them.

Commencement, endeavour flooding them with h2o in the evening, after they've returned to the nest. It may take several attempts over a period of days to drown them or encourage them to motion elsewhere. Or you could try covering each hole with plastic—again, in the early evening—and seal it against the basis with bricks or blocks for a few days.

If that doesn't melt them or discourage them, yous'll probably have to employ an insecticide. In that location are many formulations of these chemicals, including some poison-free products such equally mint oil. Availability varies from region to region, simply you should find what y'all need at a garden center or home supply store.

Dealing with white grubs, chinch bugs, or other such pests? We've got you covered in How to Bargain With Common Lawn Issues

Hand-Proof Thou

Q: Lucy, our two-year-erstwhile Doberman, is a wonderful dog, only by running around in our lawn she's killing what fiddling grass nosotros have. I'd similar a nice grass k but don't know what to practice.

— Don, Milwaukee, WI

A: Roger Cook replies: Dogs will be dogs, and they practise love to run. And if a dog is bars to one area, specially if it'southward chained to a post or to a cable that allows the dog to move dorsum and forth, lawn damage is unavoidable. In this case, forget trying to salve the grass. Remove what's there and replace information technology with a wide swath of mulch or sand, contained with edging. These materials won't injure a canis familiaris'southward anxiety, the way gravel or pea rock tin can, and they can easily be raked back into place as needed. Artificial turf might as well work, if the area isn't too big. I've installed information technology nether backyard swingsets. It stands up to toddlers, and so possibly it would work with Lucy.

Another approach would be to employ one of the porous paving systems designed to assistance grass withstand driveway and parking-lot traffic. These perforated plastic or masonry materials, which are strong enough to support cars and trucks, contain many holes that protect the grass and its roots from impairment while allowing h2o to bleed through. Installing these systems requires some excavating, filling (with a good mix of sand, compost, and loam), replanting (with sod plugs), and waiting before the grass is strong enough. Merely once the lawn is established, it should exist able to withstand Lucy. Just be sure to talk over your intentions with the manufacturer starting time. You don't want to install anything that will cut her feet.

What to Do When Grass Won't Grow

Grass: Impossible?

Q: I can't seem to get grass to grow well in a niggling patch between my front walk and the driveway, near a few pine trees. Would I have meliorate luck with sod?

—Brandon Carpenter, Perry, Mich.

A: Roger Cook replies: Grass is grass, whether you grow it from seed or lay it out as sod. If the growing atmospheric condition aren't right, it won't survive.

Kickoff of all, make sure the area gets at least five hours of sunlight a day. If the pines are blocking the dominicus, you could cut them down, but that's a drastic footstep given the size of your patch. Or you could just forget the grass and plant a shade-loving footing embrace, such as pachysandra, instead.

If there is plenty light, the soil probably needs assist. Have it tested past your cooperative extension service and follow their recommendations nearly what nutrients or minerals to add. After yous have the results, plough over the top 6 to 8 inches of soil, work in sand or compost if it'southward compacted, and use a shovel to thoroughly mix information technology. At present spread lawn-starter fertilizer and the recommended additives, and rake them into the tiptop layer of soil. Merely then should y'all seed or sod.

The way I meet information technology, you lot might equally well put down sod. It won't toll much to embrace your small area and you'll get some instant gratification for all your hard prep work.

Growing Grass Under a Shade Tree

Q: We live in an area with lots of copse, so my problem is moss growing in the lawn. When we tear information technology out, it always comes dorsum. How do I get rid of it for skillful?

—Mike Leibensperger, Jim Thorpe, Pa.

A: Roger Cook replies: How much do you honey your trees? Your thousand is telling you that there's too much shade for grass to compete successfully against moss. If you really want a backyard there, either cut downwards some trees or prune them aggressively to permit in more than light.

Besides, test your soil. Moss loves acid soil, so you lot may need to add lime to "sweeten" it. That will encourage grass and discourage moss.

Here's another approach, if y'all can alive with less lawn: In those areas where the moss is thickest, plant a shade garden, using shrubs, perennials, and ground covers that tolerate the existing conditions. In that setting, your moss might actually exist a prissy basis encompass. You could also add some large rocks and maybe even a bench where you could sit and cool off later on mowing the good for you part of your lawn.

Preventing Moss in a Shady Backyard

Q: Parts of my lawn can be extremely soft when wet, and when I cut my grass recently I left deep ruts across the softer parts. This didn't tear up the turf or anything, but the ruts are un-sightly. What can I do to repair this damage?

— Chuck, Cordova, TN

A: Roger Cook replies: First, let's talk about preventing further damage. The obvious advice — don't mow when your backyard is moisture — will non just prevent the rut problem but will give yous a amend cut too. If the backyard is wet then often that this regularly interferes with your mowing schedule, have a landscape contractor take a expect. You probably have a drainage trouble that needs attending to.

Now on to fixing the ruts. A lot of people tackle this the wrong mode: by filling the ruts in with dirt and then seeding the area. But filling doesn't relieve the compaction, and the new grass never quite blends with the surrounding turf.

The best way to set up ruts is to loosen the soil. For shallow ruts no more than a few inches deep, accept a spade fork and sink it into the footing aslope the estrus at a 45-degree angle. With the fork'south tines buried under the bottom of the rut, gently push down on the handle and lever the sod upwardly virtually i or 2 inches to a higher place the surrounding area. Then remove the fork and permit the sod settle over time to a level that's even with the neighboring lawn.

Ruts more than than 4 inches deep have to be treated differently. Using a lawn edger or a spade, brand a lengthwise cut through the grass at the lesser of the rut, and use a fork to fold back the sod on each side of the cutting. At present, loosen the soil in the rut by turning it over with a spade, leaving it an inch or 2 higher than the undisturbed soil. Add together more soil if necessary. And then flip back the grass, pat information technology down lightly, and h2o the area. If you practice this right, no 1 volition ever know the ruts were there.

Ane caution: Even if the ruts aren't deep, proceed carefully if y'all have an underground irrigation organization. One misplaced fork tine or shovel blade could put it out of commission.

Lawn Baldheaded-Spot Cure

Q: We can't get grass to grow in the infinite between the firm and the flower bed around our dwarf Japanese Maple. Is the expanse just too narrow for grass, or has something else been causing the problem?

— Ed and Sandy Pasko, Torrington, Conn.

A: Roger Melt replies: Grass doesn't mind narrow areas—as anyone who'southward weeded out the joints in a brick walkway can tell you. From looking at your photos, I'd say you lot take bigger problems with compacted soil from also much foot traffic and as well much shade from your maple. Loosening the soil to a depth of 6 to 8 inches with a D handled garden folk will eliminate the compaction temporarily. Pruning might permit more sunlight to reach the ground. But my recommendation for small, struggling areas of lawn is to eliminate them. First rototill the surface area to go rid of the grass—just not deeply enough to damage the tree roots—and put in stepping stones to take intendance of the traffic. So plant shade-loving groundcover such as epimedium or vinca.

Brownish GRASS, BURNS, STRIPES, More

Leap Backyard Stripes

Q: Every summer, when things begin to dry out, we get iii brown stripes in our lawn. I'm guessing that these are the leach lines to the septic organisation. Is in that location anything we tin do to forestall this from happening

— George, Xenia, Ohio

A: Roger Cook replies: You're probably right most what's causing the stripes, but merely to make sure, get a re-create of the septic plan and come across if the lines stand for to it. The plans might be with the deed for your firm, or at your board of health or building department. If the stripes line up with the pipes, the field probably has besides much stone or sand too shut to the surface, which would crusade the ground to dry out out too speedily. At that place should be about 3 to half dozen inches of stone or sand above the drain field pipes, with 6 to 12 inches of topsoil above that. Poke around gently with a shovel to see how deep the soil goes.

If your digging turns upwardly stones or sand, you'll have to dig some of it out and supercede information technology with loam. First, marking the locations of the areas that dry out. Then in the fall, when the grass is no longer dormant, rent a sod cutter and remove the afflicted backyard. It'southward ever better to save the existing grass and reuse it because different sod or seed might take years to blend in. Lay the sod aside on burlap and go along information technology moisture. So dig out 6 inches of sand or stone and replace information technology with v inches of good-quality loam. Be conscientious with your shovel; yous don't want to harm any pipes. Compact the loam slightly so that information technology won't settle, then put the sod back. Accept your fourth dimension to do a careful job and in a few months you won't know where the repairs were.

Now, if the septic field doesn't correspond to the chocolate-brown areas, ask a local utility for the name of your local "one-call" center, which will come out and mark the location of all buried water, gas, or phone lines. Once you lot know where information technology'south prophylactic to dig, dig down and see what's causing the area to dry out. You'll probably find sand, stone, or merely compacted soil, but I've uncovered asphalt walkways buried under the grass.

Fertilizer-Burned Lawn

Q: How do I repair yellowish burn marks from also much fertilizer?

— Sharon, Egg Harbor Township, New Bailiwick of jersey

A: Roger says: One time the burn marks show up there is nothing you tin can do merely supersede the grass. I would cut out the surface area, remove 1 inch of soil, add new soil and seed, or sod, depending on which would blend in faster, which is usually the seed. If you ever spill fertilizer over a small expanse, rake it upwards and remove as much as possible, then water the area heavily for several weeks.

Brown Grass Solution

Q: My lawn was only put in 3 months ago and it seems to exist burned from the heat. We try to water information technology in the tardily afternoon when it's libation, but it seems to be getting worse. Should we fertilize?

—Larry, Doylestown, Pennsylvania

A: Roger Cook replies: I would like you to water early on in the morning instead of the afternoon. Watering in the afternoon can leave the grass blades wet all dark, which can pb to fungus. This could be what yous are seeing.

But if I had to approximate, I would say it's probably a lack of fertilizer that's giving you this appearance. The lawn should have been fertilized twice by now, once 3 to 4 weeks afterward the initial fertilizing and once more vi to 8 weeks after. All the actress watering you're doing is leaching fertilizer out of the soil or driving it down beyond the development of the root arrangement and making it unavailable to the grass. Try refertilizing with a starter fertilizer (low nitrogen, higher phosphorous). Only exist very conscientious when spreading it. These "burn" spots are sometimes areas where fertilizer has not been properly applied.

Getting Rid of Backyard Ruts

Q: Parts of my backyard tin can be extremely soft when wet, and when I cut my grass recently I left deep ruts across the softer parts. This didn't tear up the turf or anything, but the ruts are un-sightly. What can I do to repair this harm?

— Chuck, Cordova, TN

A: Roger Cook replies: Outset, let's talk well-nigh preventing further harm. The obvious communication — don't mow when your lawn is wet — volition not but foreclose the rut problem simply will give you a better cut too. If the lawn is wet so ofttimes that this regularly interferes with your mowing schedule, accept a landscape contractor take a look. You probably have a drainage problem that needs attention to.

Now on to fixing the ruts. A lot of people tackle this the wrong way: past filling the ruts in with dirt and so seeding the area. Just filling doesn't salve the compaction, and the new grass never quite blends with the surrounding turf.

The best fashion to gear up ruts is to loosen the soil. For shallow ruts no more than a few inches deep, take a spade fork and sink it into the ground alongside the rut at a 45-caste angle. With the fork's tines cached under the bottom of the oestrus, gently push downwards on the handle and lever the sod up about 1 or ii inches in a higher place the surrounding expanse. And so remove the fork and allow the sod settle over fourth dimension to a level that's even with the neighboring lawn.

Ruts more than 4 inches deep have to exist treated differently. Using a lawn edger or a spade, make a lengthwise cut through the grass at the bottom of the rut, and utilise a fork to fold dorsum the sod on each side of the cut. Now, loosen the soil in the rut past turning it over with a spade, leaving it an inch or two higher than the undisturbed soil. Add more soil if necessary. And then flip dorsum the grass, pat it down lightly, and water the area. If you do this right, no one volition ever know the ruts were there.

One caution: Even if the ruts aren't deep, proceed advisedly if y'all have an underground irrigation arrangement. One misplaced fork tine or shovel blade could put it out of commission.

Construction-Damaged Lawn

Q: Nosotros've made a number of changes in our front thousand over the past couple of summers — removed several large trees, rebuilt a stone wall, and added a bluestone walkway. The work was hard on our lawn and we've repaired the obvious damage, but with all the trucks and tractors driven around out in that location, I wonder if the soil has been packed down besides much for the grass to grow. How can I tell?

— M. David, Southbury, Connecticut

A: Roger says: You're right—structure traffic is hard on lawns, even when it doesn't actually tear upwardly the grass. You can pretty much assume that your lawn has been compacted, making it hard for roots to go air and water. (Heavy machinery isn't the only culprit: Constant pes traffic can turn soil as hard every bit pavement.) You can tell whether your lawn is compacted past pushing a long screwdriver into the turf. If it doesn't easily slide in more than six inches or and so, the soil is besides dense. Boring-draining soil is some other sign of compaction. To right this problem, y'all'll need to rent a core aerator. Exist sure you lot get the kind that removes modest plugs of earth from the lawn and scatters them over the grass. The holes it leaves behind provide a fashion for air and h2o to reach the root zone. Grass roots make full the holes in a few weeks; the plugs dissolve away later a month or and then.

Core aerating is one of the best things you can do for a lawn, even if it hasn't been driven over. I run the aerator over the entire lawn in one management, then make a second pass at 90 degrees to the first. Immediately afterwards, I pinnacle-dress the lawn with 1/4 to one/2 inch of anile leaf compost; if y'all don't have a compost pile, get it from a garden or local recycling center. I apply compost with a spreader if I tin, only if information technology clogs upward, I use my hand to flick the compost off the cease of a flat shovel. Side by side, I scratch information technology around with a steel rake and then it doesn't just sit on top of the grass. In areas where drainage is poor, I add sand.

Aerating is best done in the autumn. (In the jump, it encourages crabgrass.) If yous aerate and pinnacle-dress every fall for 3 years, yous'll notice a substantial improvement in your lawn.

Dealing With Unwanted Grass

Grass Overtaking the Vegetable Garden

Q: I planted a vegetable garden on a plot that was fully covered with grass, and I'm having a hard fourth dimension keeping the weeds and grass from overgrowing the plants. Is in that location a production to control garden weeds?

—Bethany, Blueish Ridge, Georgia

A: Roger Cook replies: Ane thing you lot can do is block sunlight from getting to the weeds. This can be accomplished using plastic, newspaper, or weed barrier. Plastic and newspaper practise non permit water to pass through, so they are not going to help the garden grow. Weed barrier will allow water laissez passer through however. My suggestion is to purchase weed barrier in a size that is economical for your surface area. Comprehend the entire area, anchoring the barrier with brick or wire clips available where you buy the product. Now you can cover the weed with mulch, such equally wood chips or grass clippings from a non-chemically treated backyard. When y'all go to plant you lot can cut a pocket-size hole in the weed bulwark and put in your plant. If the garden is already planted, curl out the weed barrier advisedly between the plants and mulch. You may get a few weeds growing in the mulch but it will be minimal compared to the issues you lot have now.

Lawn Invading Flowerbeds

Q: Fifty-fifty after installing black plastic edging and applying several inches of mulch, I find that grass from the lawn still invades our vegetable and flower gardens. How can I keep the lawn from taking over?

—Doug; Hastings, MI

A: Roger Cook replies: Sounds similar the edging isn't deep enough. I usually use steel edging that is at least 4 inches deep, and occasionally roots volition even become under that. If I really want to exist sure the grass won't invade the bed, I'll apply brick continuing on edge (8 inches) or cobbles (10 to 12 inches). These methods are a lot of work, and the materials are non inexpensive to buy.

The inexpensive fashion to stop the roots is to buy an edger — a hand tool that has a long wooden handle with a thick metal bract on the end. Work the edger along the lawn an inch or two away from the bed, cutting that much off the grass 6 to 8 inches deep, straight downwards. Leave this vertical edge exposed, with a slope on the other side back up to the level of the bed. Make sure when you lot mulch that you don't fill in this 5-shaped channel, or the grass volition grow into it.

Remove the cutting-off grass from the aqueduct and add together it to your compost pile. If you don't, it will terminate up growing into the bed.

Once or twice a month, run down the border with a string trimmer turned vertical and trim off whatever shaggy ends. Be sure to vesture safety spectacles and ear protection. Betwixt the trimming and the air space in the channel, this volition inhibit root growth.

Removing Established Grass

Q: What'south the easiest way to become rid of grass for patio or walkway installation?

A: The outset step in edifice a new walkway or patio, or planting a new garden bed, usually involves getting rid of the grass. Fortunately, it's easier to eradicate than to grow, particularly if yous use the right tools and techniques. Here are the methods This Old Business firm landscape contractor Roger Cook uses to scalp a lawn.

Grub hoe. For small projects, use muscle power. With a quick chop, the hoe's viii-inch-broad bract cuts through roots; a tug on the handle rips turf out of the ground. Resist the temptation to swing the tool like a pickax; your back and arms will give out earlier the job is done. Instead, take curt swings, just hard enough to penetrate the root layer—a couple of inches deep, at most. Walk forward every bit y'all work, so the cut pieces of sod don't encompass up the grass to be removed.

Sod cutter. For large projects , a gas-powered version from the rental heart is the style to go. Using a wide, narrow blade that swings back and forth merely below root level, a sod cutter swiftly severs roots, clearing a swath in one swift pass. And so just roll upwards the grass strips and replant them elsewhere, if you wish.

Lawn Mower Matters

Stop Sticky Grass

Q: After reading your article on lawn care in the Apr 2004 TOH issue, I tried out household vinegar as an organic weed control on some dandelions in my backyard. Within a couple of days, they looked pretty dead. Could I apply this method to impale the existing backyard?

— Mark, by due east-mail

A: Roger Melt replies: Vinegar, or acetic acid, is 1 of the newest things in weed control. When sprayed on, it has an almost immediate impact, as y'all discovered. The problem is that it doesn't kill the roots, so some weeds abound back over time.

To kill a backyard completely, you lot could spray the household vinegar on weeds and grass that are actively growing, and later on a few days, follow upwards with glyphosate (Roundup) on anything still live; that would greatly reduce the amount of herbicide you need. Or, you lot could apply another dose or two of vinegar before Rototilling and reseeding. You may get a few weeds, merely don't utilize vinegar or herbicides on them yet. Wait until you've cut the new grass three or four times before launching some other chemic attack.

Sharpening Tools

Q: Am I supposed to acuminate my shovel, posthole digger, hoe, and other digging tools? How practice you lot practice that?

—Jerry Comeaux, Youngsville, LA.

A: Roger Melt replies: Yes, it is a good idea to keep all your excavation tools sharp considering y'all'll get more piece of work done in less time and with less endeavor. The maintenance is like shooting fish in a barrel: All you need is a good pair of heavy leather gloves, a 12-inch mill bastard file, and a vise. Here'southward how I keep my earthworks tools in shape:

1. For safety and stability, secure the tool in the vise by its handle—dished-side up, in the case of shovels and posthole diggers, and blade pointing straight upwards for hoes.

2. Hold the file with 2 hands, skewed slightly to the side and flat against the original bevel on the cutting edge. If there'due south no bevel left, hold the file tilted 45 degrees off the tool's confront. Push the file toward the handle in straight, even strokes, moving it in only i direction.

3. When the angle has been restored, lay the file flat against the back of the bevel and remove the burr, which forms as you lot file the metallic. A couple of strokes is all you need.

4. Wipe the metal with a penetrating oil, such every bit WD-twoscore, to discourage rust. If a tool is severely dented or worn, a iv-inch angle grinder fitted with a medium-grit aluminum-oxide bicycle will take care of snaggly edges in short gild. Exist sure to habiliment hearing protection and goggles when yous switch information technology on. Concord the grinder so that the sparks fly toward the shovel, not at y'all. When y'all're done, touch up the bevel with a file.

Once a tool is sharp, you lot should only need to file information technology yearly to proceed it swell.

Easy-Offset Mower

Q: I am an 80-year-old who withal makes a garden and mows her yard. As I've gotten older, however, I've been having a difficult time pulling the starter rope on my lawn mower. Is there anything I tin do now to prevent this problem next year?

— Estelle, Checotah, OK

A: Roger Cook replies: The starter rope of a mower usually gets slightly easier to pull as the mower gets broken in, so it'southward possible that something is obstructing the rope or the blade. Post-obit the directions in the owner's transmission, try taking off the pull-starting time housing and cleaning information technology out to dislodge any debris that may be inside. This work is pretty easy to exercise, but yous might also take a bent crankshaft, which will demand to be stock-still by an experienced small-scale-engine repair guy.

Or you might consider buying a new mower without a cord. You tin have your option of electric or battery-powered models, likewise as gas mowers with electric starting. With that last blazon, all y'all take to do to fire upwards the engine is hold downward a safety-control bar and plough a fundamental. This labor-saving feature raises the toll about $100 over an equivalent manual-starting time gas mower.

Grass Clippings as Mulch

Q: Is it rubber to utilise grass clippings from a chemically treated lawn as mulch for other plants?

—Jamelle, Elkins, West Virginia

A: Roger Melt replies: Considering I have no definite proof that you lot can, I would recommend that y'all don't. I worry that the herbicide on the grass could release into the soil as the grass breaks down and exist picked upward past other plants.

However, if you're not treating the lawn with chemicals, grass clippings exercise brand a smashing mulch.

Source: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/lawns/21018511/your-toughest-lawn-questions-answered

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