The following scenario plays itself out every season on what seems like every site. The owner is unhappy with the look of her lawn. Why? Well, it’s mossy and the grass is patchy. See the photo below.
What she wants is a nice looking lawn like the one shown in the pages of Fine Gardening magazine. The lawn should be lush green, weed-free, and free of abuse from dogs. A sort of oasis. After all, she pays her strata fees and sits on council.
Conditions
So to fix the problem, landscapers are called in and asked to work their magic. Maybe we have to stop and consider the conditions.
The lawn pictured above faces north and is situated between the building and a wild buffer zone. Also it’s surrounded by shrubs and one Amur maple (Acer ginnala). Another hint is the shade-loving Hosta planted under the maple. Therefore, it’s clear that our little lawn doesn’t get enough sunlight.
Before we get to the actual fix, let’s remind ourselves that the conditions your lawn is situated in matter. Long term, this lawn will require more fixes. Another possibility is pruning the Amur maple that partially shades the lawn.
Typical fix
Allow me to use my boss’ work as an example.
The cheapest typical fix starts with a power rake which runs over the lawn and rips up most of the unwanted moss. Adjust the machine setting depending on your needs. The lower you go, the more you will rip out.
Then, turn off the machine and rake out the mess you’ve just made. Budget enough time for clean-up in your work quote since it takes a lot of time to rake everything out.
Second comes the application of new top soil. In this case we used one yard of lawn and garden mix at $28.50 per yard. Rake it out so it’s speared evenly. Normally, you would see some grass after it’s raked out but in this case all you see is soil. Another testament to how bad this lawn was.
Last, spread seed evenly and rake it in. I like to apply a second lighter seed layer on top of this. Use good quality seed. In this case we used a renovation mix which allegedly germinates quicker than other seed.
Fixed lawn
In conclusion, we know that the conditions your lawn is situated in matter greatly. Got too much shade? Then fight with frequent fixes, consider lawn alternatives or accept imperfections.
