12 months later
Just a few days ago I drove by my client’s place to take pictures of his lawn and I was nervous. Last spring his lawn had a huge “hole” where birds and animals removed grass in search of juicy Chafer beetle grubs. It was ripped up, ugly and my client was visibly distressed. So, he did what all people should do: he called Red Seal Vas for help.
I’m happy to report that the lawn held up; it looks fine, with no signs of Chafer beetle activity. That feels really good. It’s nice to get results, especially after his invoice put my daughter through college. (I’m kidding: Green First! Landscaping services are affordable!)
Early shock
It’s a nasty surprise when homeowners wake up to a destroyed lawn; with chunks turned over from birds and animals hunting for juicy Chafer beetle grubs. People love their lawns! Also, it’s slightly embarrassing when only your lawn on the entire street is ripped up. Some people feel guilty for not doing enough with their lawns. That’s when they call Green First! Landscaping for help and, usually, this is one rare instance where money doesn’t come up right away: they’re desperate and motivated.
So, let’s be clear, having a nice green lawn takes a lot of work and money. But, I know one homeowner who literally “babies” his lawns by cutting them twice a week and he still got Chafers. The beetles aren’t going away but they can be controlled.
Easy fix
The easiest fix is to rake up the mess and install new soil over the beat up section. That’s what I did in the example above. We had a nasty damaged patch right in the middle of the lawn. So I raked it up and installed garden blend soil which has a little bit more sand in it.
Take your time with the soil. Rake it into the surrounding lawn edges nicely; and use a rolling pin to compact the middle section. Once it’s compacted and level, add grass seed. Rake it in gently so the surface is slightly scarified for the seed. I applied more seed over top and left it for the homeowner to water in. Gently, of course, so you don’t blast or wash off the seed.
It’s not a bad idea to add more seed later, once you see germination happening in ten days or so.
This is the cheapest fix and I’m glad it worked out for this client. And since I maintain his lawns all year, I get to monitor everything.
