What Can I Do for a Thinning Lawn?

Grass Seed

• Fill in bare spots and thinning areas by using grass seed. Spring and fall are the best times to do so. Find a nursery or home improvements center where you can purchase grass seed and ask an expert which kind is best for your lawn. For localized bare spots, sprinkle grass seed, making sure it comes in contact with the soil beneath. Keep the grass constantly watered as letting it dry out kills the grass seed. Optimum temperatures for reseeding are no colder than 40 degrees overnight and between 50 and 60 degrees during the day. If you plan to reseed your entire lawn, consider aerating and power raking your yard first.

Power Rake

• A power rake removes dead grass and debris that collects over the winter and previous growing months. It also does a good job preparing troubled lawns for reseeding. The best time of year to power rake is spring or fall. However, if you are power raking in order to prepare your lawn for new seed, do it in the spring so the new seedlings have a chance to grow over the summer season.

Aerate

• Thatch is a layer of old compact dirt and decayed grass roots that accumulate over the years resulting in thinning, brown or unhealthy grass. A power aerator loosens dirt and breaks thatch apart. The best kind of aerator to use is one that pulls out little plugs of grass rather than the kind that cuts into the lawn using spikes. With plugs gone, water and nutrients can reach grass roots easier.

Considerations

• Contact a lawn service to have your lawn aerated, power raked or both. Or do the job yourself by renting both machines from a rental company. Rental rates are by the hour, so rent each machine independently and do your studying beforehand.

An Ounce of Prevention

• Once you restore the thinning areas of your lawn, maintenance is key. Don't compromise your lawn by ignoring it. Fertilize regularly and continue to aerate and power rake on a yearly schedule to prevent thatch build-up and strangled grass roots.