How to Get a Thicker Lawn

An attractive, thick lawn not only adds visual beauty to your yard, but it can also protect against soil erosion, filter pollutants and provide a soft cushion for outdoor play.

Of course, to achieve dense grass requires more than just regular mowing and watering – in order to achieve dense lawns you must follow three best practices all year long.

Fertilize

Your lawn puts in hard work year-round, weathering foot traffic, vehicles, pets, sports games and more. Even healthy grass can start looking sparse after some time without proper care; luckily there are numerous methods available to you to thicken it so it can become the envy of the neighborhood!

Thick grass outcompetes thin grass by crowding out weeds, resisting pests and diseases more effectively and looking more lush and beautiful than its thinner counterpart. Not to mention adding curb appeal and increasing property values!

Reaching for thick grass takes time and dedication, but the benefits are well worth your while. Here are a few key steps that will get you on your journey:

Your Lawn Needs Food

In order for grass to thrive and become thick and healthy, it needs proper nutrition from time to time. In order to overcome this difficulty, regular fertilization with the appropriate mix of nutrients must take place – including liquid and granular formulations of fertilizers – which offer different advantages to grass. When selecting fertilizers that best meet your lawn’s specific needs it can be hard. To be successful with this, the key lies in fertilizing at the correct frequency with liquid or granular forms of fertilizers!

When selecting a fertilizer, look for one with high levels of nitrogen while being low in phosphorus and potassium – these three nutrients provide essential support to most grasses, while shade or compaction issues may necessitate altering this ratio slightly.

Conduct a soil test to assess if your lawn is deficient in any essential nutrients. An inexpensive test will give you instantaneous returns in terms of thicker and healthier grass!

A soil test will tell you whether your soil is compacted, which impedes water, air and nutrients flowing freely throughout. Aerating can help remedy this by using a machine to extract plugs of soil; this loosens compacted areas while also providing air circulation allowing grass roots to expand more fully and allow them to grow thicker roots. After aeration is completed, overseeding should follow as holes created are ideal homes for new grass seed.

Aerate

If your lawn is thin, there are a few strategies you can take to change its appearance. Address any factors causing its thinness such as shade, compaction, pests or disease. Also make sure you are following all of the best care tips to promote thick and healthy turf like fertilizing and overseeding for best results.

Aeration is one of the key elements to creating a thick lawn, as it relieves soil compaction. Compressed soil prevents roots from receiving enough oxygen needed to grow thick grass; by loosening dirt through aeration, air and water can enter it more freely to foster new roots growth.

Your lawn requires at least annual aeration to stay healthy, regardless of its state. A spike or plug aerator are both effective tools; both puncture the surface while extracting cores of soil; however, plug aerators offer superior results since they won’t create additional compaction in areas where holes have been made in your grass.

Aeration should take place either early spring or fall when weather conditions are optimal, when temperature and precipitation conditions can be considered “moderate”. Following aeration, overseeding is key as its holes create by the process will make great homes for new grass seeds that will quickly fill in any thin spots in your yard.

As you aerate, take care not to overdo it. Too much aerating may actually damage the turf and it’s essential that proper techniques be adhered to.

If you are unfamiliar with proper mowing techniques, now is a good time to learn them. Improper mowing techniques may prevent your grass from reaching its full potential; rather than scheduling regular mows, only mow when necessary to address an overgrown lawn.

An immaculate lawn doesn’t come about overnight – it takes hard work and dedication! With just a little work and dedication on your part, however, you can transform thin grass into a lush garden for years to come! Simply follow these three easy steps and tips in this guide for your desired lawn!

Overseed

Overseeding is one of the best ways to create a thicker lawn. The process involves sowing grass seed over existing turf to fill bare spots and create a fuller look – for maximum impact, aim to overseed your entire yard rather than simply targeting specific problem spots.

Before overseeding, make sure your soil is healthy and ready for new grass to take hold. A soil test will enable you to check pH and nutrient levels appropriate to the type of grass you have already established as well as address any pest or disease issues which might threaten its wellbeing.

Aeration is essential before overseeding, as its holes create better access for grass seeds to reach soil. Overseeding should take place between late summer and early fall as conditions tend to allow optimal germination and growth while cool-season grasses will have already established themselves by then.

As a final tip, remember to bag your grass clippings after each mowing session rather than scattering them back onto your yard – doing this could prevent interference with the germination of new seeds and prevent too much moisture saturating the soil and depriving new seedlings of oxygen they require for success. Additionally, overwatering could deprive these seedlings of air needed for their survival and may hinder their success.

An attractive lawn can dramatically enhance the curb appeal of your home and give its inhabitants pride of ownership. Unfortunately, due to many other responsibilities and priorities that most homeowners face today, keeping up with regular lawn care can be challenging. By including these three simple steps and best practices in your weekly routine, you can achieve thicker, healthier grass that will stand the test of time.

If you need any assistance with your lawn, LawnStarter experts are always on hand to answer your queries and provide expert advice on proper care and maintenance of the area. Plus, schedule a no-committal, free visit of your property so we can create an individualized lawn program just for you.

Water

An attractive lawn can make any home more inviting, yet maintaining healthy turf may not always be simple. Weather, soil conditions and disease and pest infestation are among the many contributing factors; but there are steps you can take year-round to improve its appearance and ensure its future success.

Starting off right is key when it comes to creating the ideal lawn environment, and soil testing can make a dramatic impact in terms of thickness. Soil testing also helps identify issues like compaction or imbalanced pH or nutrient levels which could require treatment, so they don’t persist over time.

Next, water your lawn early and deeply each morning – especially sunnier areas – so as to encourage deep roots that reach moisture and nutrients more effectively. Furthermore, it is recommended to water these sunnier sections more than shaded ones to develop stronger and deeper root systems and produce thicker turf grass.

An essential step toward thicker grass is regular aeration of your lawn throughout the year. One reason grass thins out is soil compaction, which prevents air, water and nutrients from moving freely in the soil. For the best results of your aeration program and lawn care routine, please follow our guidelines on lawn aeration.

Consider using mulch in your garden and yard. Mulching involves scattering grass clippings back onto the soil to help conserve moisture and delay drying out too quickly, while simultaneously helping you cut back on fertilizer usage, since decomposing grass clippings help balance out chemical make-up of your soil.

Grass is an extremely hardy plant, yet it still requires care to thrive and look its best. By taking the time and performing these tasks regularly, your lawn will reward you with years of beauty!