compost
organic matter (also called humus holds ten time its weight in water)
is the "key to a good lawn"... a rentable aerator has these i little tubes that (they are like a bank of fingers that go up and down)
get plunged into the soil and it pops out thousands of plugs which you rake up and spread around onthe low spots.
then you spread compost which you have delivered from dairy farms for $25.00 per yard and you rake it back into the holes the dirt plugs came out of .This method enriches the lawn's soil in a way that NO
store bought granular fertilizer ever could. Sure, a granular fertilizer can supply the N.P.K. but not the water retention capabilities that organic matter can.
a healthy lawn has a huge population (10,000) of earthworms of several varieties....a lawn with little organic matter
has -> none. Before you spread your compost you re-seed first and try to time it so you have several days of rain before a full moon to increase the germination rate of the grass seed.
water 3 times a day until you see new grass emerging then water once a day. Use a timer to do this if necessary mid day. otherwise water before and after work....if the grass seed "dries out" you killed it ,and lost the battle and will have to try several seedings.
i have seen signs for " take home" sprayable grass seed mixtures.
if you take a spade shovel and dig up a full shovel of dirt and not see earthworms in the soil (5-10) no matter where you try it....then thats your problem.the little balls of earth (called castings) the earth worms
deposit on the surface of your soil each night have the perfect PH for growing grass and is the "pure definition" of what humus is....
if you have good humus and good watering going on its impossible
not to have a LUSH lawn ....without it ..or when your over shaded
with "oaks" that excrete grass inhibitors, its a difficult environment.
once your lawn is growing the "rule of thumb" is to only cut it prior to a signifigant rain approaching usually within hours.... if your crafty you can pre-soak grass seed yourself then spread it out on an old window screen to SLIGHTY dry it again (so its just dry enough to spread) and then it's....
pre -germinated . again! do this before a week of rain and it should be covered with at least a 1/4 to 1/2 inch of pressed soil
because the pressure (read firm contact with the soil) increases the
germination ratio of the seed.... it doesn't germinate well if on top.
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