After a long, hot summer, your lawn is noticeably suffering. The once green carpet has lost its colour or has dried out. The only green patches still visible are weeds, dandelions and clovers… Luckily, there are a few simple things to do to bring your lawn back to life!
Get rid of the weeds!
Removing visible weeds is an essential step in repairing your grass © Mantis / V.Bouillot
When the grass is completely dry, the weeds should be clearly visible. Use a weeding tool or knife to uproot dandelions and other weeds that have infested your lawn.
Be patient. While it can be a tedious job, it will be eco-friendly and more economical than using herbicides.
Scarify the lawn
Scarification is like a good cleaning for your lawn – © Mantis / D.Goose
Over time, thatch accumulates on your lawn. Moss, dead roots, various vegetal debris and grass clippings rot down and create a “blanket” which prevents your lawn from breathing and receiving necessary nutrients.
By scarifying your lawn, you will considerably reduce the thatch and improve its access to what will provide vitality and greenness – water, air and sun. Scarifying will also limit the development of moss in the future and strengthen the lawn.
Now that you understand the benefits of scarification go ahead and try it!
While hand tools are available, the easiest way to scarify is using your Mantis tiller with the optional scarifier attachment (also known as a “dethatcher”). Its 60 spring-steel picks will enable you to scarify bands of 15 inches (38 cm) wide. For optimal results, go over each area twice, once lengthwise and once widthwise.
2 important things to keep in mind:
- Before scarifying, mow the lawn to a length of about 2cm high
- After scarifying, gather up and remove all of the vegetal debris that you pulled up. Added benefit: it can add to your compost pile!
Aerate the soil
If your soil has become compacted by the drought, aerating the lawn can be very useful after scarifying.
It will help loosen compacted soil and prevent root “suffocation” to give the lawn a better access to the elements it needs most: air, water and nutrients.
It is best to aerate while the soil is not (yet) soaked with water and 4 weeks before the first frost of the season. This will allow time for the grass to strengthen before winter.
With your Mantis tiller, it’s easy to aerate. Simply remove the cultivating tines and install the optional aerating tines. The blades are straight and will make regular and consistent incisions in the soil to loosen it… effortlessly.
Aerate to unclog the soil and favour regrowth – © Mantis / D.Goose
Enrich and replant grass
As summer ends and you attempt some of these recommendations you will likely notice holes or spaces appearing in your lawn.
Re-visit the incisions made by aerating and fill those crevices with compost or nettle manure to naturally fertilize your lawn.
Here at Mantis, we do not prefer artificial fertilizers and don’t recommend ready-to use lawn products. However, if you have a good and natural recipe, do not hesitate to share it in the comments. 😉
Finally, while watering the lawn is not necessary when the grass is fully grown, it will be necessary if you replant grass seed (recommended). It is best to sprinkle it, preferably in the evening.
After scarification and re-seeding, new grass can be seen growing on a repaired lawn.
Lightweight, ergonomic, gas powered or electric, Mantis offers a large range of tillers and accessories – (like the aerator and dethatcher) to take care of your soil and your lawn.
See also our articles Ten tips for a great lawn
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