Disease damaged dead spots are ideal for slice-seeding repair

Unfortunately, most people don’t think about seeding their lawns in the fall after drought, disease and insect damaged areas have been created throughout the summer growing season. Instead, most people think about spring lawn seeding which is much less than the ideal time to seed. The only other worst timing for seeding would be mid-summer in the extreme heat or late fall when the seed might germinate only to be killed by freezing temperatures.   

Thin lawn areas are renewed with slice-seeding

Does my lawn need to be completely torn out and start over? 

Depending on the condition of your lawn, there are a variety of ways to make your lawn one in which you can be proud. If your lawn is thin or has some smaller bare areas, you should consider slice seeding or overseeding. This can be done by a commercial contractor that has this specialty type of equipment or you can rent slice-seeders from select locations. If your lawn is a complete mess and you want to fix it immediately, perhaps sodding is your best option. If you want to choose the exact type of turf seed that will be called your future lawn, maybe a complete lawn renovation is in order for your more discerning turf palette. For spotty, minor lawn problems, spot seeding with a little topsoil might be your solution. No matter which option you choose to repair your lawn, your decision should be based upon its current condition, your desired quality of your lawn and your patience, the availability of irrigation and of course, your budget. Lawn sodding is much more expensive than lawn seeding.   

Slice-seeding in action. Note no damage to existing turf.

Why or why not use sod? 

 
Sod is an instant lawn. Adding sod to your home lawn is like going to the hospital to pick up your newborn baby without having had nine months of gestation and prenatal care. Instant lawn….instant baby!  Lawn sodding eliminates or at least minimizes any initial weed problems and reduces or eliminates erosion on slopes. Sod comes in different blends of grasses. The most common sod that you will encounter in the Midwest is grown from a blend of Kentucky bluegrasses. You should ask your sod supplier for the seed mix or blend from which your sod was grown. The downside to sodding is that you are not establishing the plant in the native soil from which it was grown. When you install sod, you are bringing in soil that is different than the native soil. This results in the root system wanting to stay in the soil from the sod and not move into your native soil. Many times, sodded lawns decline over five years due to the differences in soil types.   

Vertical trenches allow seed to make solid contact with soil.

Core aeration and overseeding
Don’t confuse core aeration with slice seeding or overseeding. Core aeration is the process of mechanically pulling up plugs of soil and thatch from your lawn. This technique reduces soil compaction, minimizes thatch accumulation, and will give you an overall healthier lawn. Core aeration combined with overseeding is an alternative to slice seeding because it combines aeration with the benefit of adding a select seed variety to your lawn. Core aeration combined with overseeding however will not produce the same results as a true slice seeding machine. 

Fall is the time for turf. Kentucky bluegrass especially loves the warm days and cooler evenings of the fall season. With proper care and the right seed mix, you can have your lawn looking its best by late fall. A thick, dark green lawn is a beautiful canvas to fallen gold and red leaves of October.

The biggest thing to do right now is simply take some time to look over and evaluate your lawn and landscape.  Because we had extended periods of low temperatures and excessive amounts of snow covering our landscapes, homeowners may start to notice damage to their turf and plants as the snow starts to melt away.  One such damage that may be noticeable to lawns may come in the form of snow mold.

Snow Mold is a fungal disease that can be caused by excess snow and ice build up on grass, which appears as circular, straw colored patches in your lawn.  Cultural controls are the best option for lawn recovery if such damaged occurs.  This can be done by raking injured areas with a hard rake or a leaf rake.  This not only helps promote air circulation, but will help allow sunlight to penetrate down into the canopy and encourage new growth in the spring.  If the damage is severe, seeding or sodding may become an option.

Although snow mold is a fungal disease, fungicides are not recommended are a curative approach.  Fungicides can be costly and your grass may recover with natural, cultural practices as the weather changes.  Preventatively applying a fungicide application in the early winter season will save you headaches as well as reduce your lawns’ probability of developing this disease.  If you’re not sure of what is wrong with your lawn, calling a professional is recommended. 

As you walk around your property, you may start to notice that your lawn was not the only thing that incurred damaged from the harsh winter.  Shrubs and trees may also have been injured from the excess snow.  As snow accumulates without time to melt, plants may droop or fall over and branches may break from the heavy weight of the snow.  Broken and damaged branches should be pruned to help speed up the recovery process.  This will also help prevent diseases and insects from attacking your plants later.  Even though you may have a broken branch in the middle of your shrub or an unsightly looking plant now, it may recover as the growing season returns.  So don’t fret yet.  If you’re unsure of what to prune or you’re not sure how to prune a particular plant, call a landscape professional.  Also, it is not recommended to try and prune broken branches high in trees.  You may injure yourself or someone around you.  You should call a professional arborist to assess your situation.

If you have assessed your plants and lawn closely without any noticeable damage, then you are one of the few!  In that rare case, making sure your plants and lawn are prepared is the next thing to do.  Apply a fertilizer with a pre-emergent herbicide to your lawn to help control crabgrass and other unwanted weeds.  March 15 – April 15 are the approximate dates for pre-emergent herbicide applications in central Ohio.  You want to make sure the herbicide moves to the zone of weed seed germination, which is accomplished by rainfall or irrigation.  Weeds not only take away necessary nutrients and water but they deter you from having a healthy lawn.  It is almost impossible and naturally undesirable to have 100% weed control, but preventative treatments go a long way to having a healthy, visually aesthetic lawn in the spring.

Your plants and trees need nutrients as well.  Fertilizer is not plant food. Plants use water, carbon dioxide, elements from fertilizer, and energy from the sun to produce their own food. Synthetic (manufactured) and natural (sometimes incorrectly called organic) fertilizers provide nutrients for plant growth.   A balanced fertilizer applied in the spring will help encourage new growth and have your landscape healthy and ready for the upcoming season.