Brown spots on your grass? This can be the cause of many different things: compacted roots, animals,insects, high traffic areas, less water and sun. No need of buying expensive products just to fix your lawn. Here are some tips for you for a healthy lawn:

In fixing your lawn, you need a fertilizer, seed, and also compost. To begin with, rack the affected area with a firm rack, to roughen your lawn. With a hoe,cultivator,or a garden fork loosen the soil down a couple of inches to give the grass the chance to germinate and grow long and healthy roots. place the fertilizer down and work it into the soil with a garden fork or your hands. Just make sure you have gloves when working with those fertilizers. When fertilizer worked into the soil you can then sprinkle the grass over the top of the soil. In buying the seed, choose the perennial type that fits your area an that would last in your area will not die after its season. Once the seed is in the area, cover the area with a compost to help in the healthy growth of your grass. Then water the seeds thoroughly to give it a good start.

If your dog or pet created a spot of urine in the area, add some lime to the soil to help neutralize the urine acid and not ruin your grass. If not sure if its an animal urine, you can test the soil with the PH tester. Grass requires a PH level of 6-7 to grow right. And when dealing with some fixes, place the seed fertilizer together with the compost in a bucket then mix up to make sure it is dispersed evenly, now, roughen the area that needs to be fixed and place the mixer to each stop and press down finally, water the patches everyday until about a two inches high new grass grow an do water it at least every other day until the grass is well rooted that would create a healthy lawn.

Everybody is dreaming of a healthy and perfect lawn at home. Especially for those living in a cool season grasses rule. But, not every lawn needs a complete renovation. Maybe others just needed an extra care with tender loving. For cool season lawns & planting seed, early fall could be the best time to finish such a renovation then spring for a warm season grass and you can do laying new sod, plugs or sprigs, almost anytime during the growing season. Here are the six essential steps to follow:

1. Test the Soil – Investigating the soil is very important before removing your old lawn and that the soil has adequate nutrients and proper pH ideal for the grass to grow. Once you had undergo thorough test on the soil, you will exactly know what to do for a best possible place for your lawn to grow.

2. Remove the old lawn – these requires an average strength to help haul away the remains of the old loan.

3. Preparing the Site - Remove all rocks and expose all the roots. Large visible rocks must be dig up and tree roots be put down below soil level if it is a problem as well. With the sod removed and taken away from the site, rocks removed, holes filled, you’ll want to start adding the necessary amendments. You’ll probably want to add some sand (about 3 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet). To better condition the soil, add aged compost. This will add a lot of bio-mass to the soil (about 3 cubic yards per 1,000 square feet).

4. Tilling it in and Fertilizing - Turn the soil until there are no big clumps or patches of packed earth. with a rotary tiller and add lime, peat moss, or sulfur to balance the soil’s pH level. Spread peat moss with shovel, you can use pelletized lime or sulfur, to spread with a walk-behind spreader set to the appropriate calibration rate listed. And spread a starte fertilizer to the whole area using. Using a metal rake you can work on the fertilizer in one place. Finish grading the soil by raking it level. Pay attention to drainage slopes being careful not to alter the natural drainage pattern.

5. Spread the seed - Select a grass type that would fit in your area. With a simple hand sprinkler, apply the seed as evenly use a walk behind spreader.

6. Water regularly – When seed is sown, Don’t just spray your lawn with a hose nozzle.3 times a day to keep the soil evenly moist, but not soaked. Avoid over watering.Once the seed has sprouted, cut back watering to once a day (depending on local weather). It’s best to water in the morning.

1. AERATION- Loosening the soil so that water, air and nutrients reach the root zone quicker. Aeration enhances the effectiveness of the products applied to your lawn. By loosening the soil, items needed by the roots (air, water & nutrients), are more available. Therefore, when fertilizer is applied, it is used more effectively by the grass plants.

Core aeration is accomplished by running a machine over the lawn. The machine pulls up plugs of soil, about the size of your finger, and leaves them on the ground. It takes a couple of weeks for the plugs to break up and blend back into the lawn. Liquid aeration provides the same great results as core aeration but is much easier to do. It also is cheaper, and cleaner.

2. MOWING - In general, keep fescue, rye and bluegrass mowed at a minimum of three inches. Zoysia and bermuda grasses can be mowed shorter. Mowing at the proper height will strengthen the grass plant and inhibit the growth of unwanted weeds. As a matter fact, studies have shown that simply mowing at the correct height will eliminate crabgrass over time. The shorter the grass is cut, the shorter the roots will be. Mowing high causes the grass to shade the weeds, so they cannot grow. Mowing high also makes the grass stronger, as more grass is using the sun to make it grow. Always keep your mower blade SHARP! Sharpen the blade after 8-10 hours of use. Grass clippings are a good source of nitrogen for your lawn. It is recommended that you not bag your grass clippings. Let those clipping fall to the ground and breakdown, thus returning nutrients to the soil.

The frequency of mowing should be such that you cut 1/3 of the grass stem off each time. Removing more than 1/3 of the grass stem at a time will damage the plant. This means that you should mow your grass at or before it reaches 4-1/2 inches. During periods of drought it is advised that you mow even higher, at 4” or more. It also advised that you mow higher in areas that are heavily shaded.

3. PROPER WATERING - Proper watering encourages grass growth and deters weed growth. Watering too frequently will actually discourage grass growth, as the roots are not required to go deep to find their water source. Weed roots are much shorter than grass roots, so watering less frequently will cause the weed roots to die, while the longer grass roots will be seeking deeper water. The grass will tell you when to water, usually once a week. The grass blades will begin to curl when they need water. They will curl before they turn brown. Another way to tell is to walk across your grass and take a look where you walked.

If your footprints remain, the grass needs some water. If your footprints disappear, the grass is fine.
You should water all areas of your lawn with an inch of water. Simply set a cup in the watered area and keep an eye on the water level in the cup. When it reaches an inch, stop. To conserve water, water right after it rains. You will need to know how much rain fell, then “top it off” until you have an inch.

4. WEEDS & TRIMMING -Have you ever given any thought as to why weeds tend to grow next to the fence, or the driveway, or around the planted areas? The answer is probably that these are the areas you are using the trimmer in. If you are mowing your lawn at the proper height, usually 3 inches, chances are the middle of your lawn looks nice. The problem areas tend to be the edges of the lawn, where the trimmer is used.

Weeds love to be cut short, and it is difficult to maintain a consistently high cut when using a trimmer. Besides the fact that weeds thrive when cut short, they also thrive in these closely cut areas because the grass is cut too short to shade the growth of the weeds. So, take a little extra time when trimming to keep the trimmer up in the air, instead of letting it touch the ground.

5. SHADED AREAS -Shaded areas of your lawn are probably the most difficult area to have a healthy lawn in.

Below are suggestions for dealing with the shade.

- The amount of sunlight can be increased by trimming the lower branches, and thinning higher branches of trees.
- You can trim shrubs to allow more air movement. To further reduce stress on grass in shaded areas, you may choose to mow this area 1/2 to 1 inch higher.
- Increased fertilizer will also help.
- If you plan to seed a shady area, be sure to use seed which is shade tolerant.

6. SEED & SEEDING -Unless you have a specific preference for a particular variety of grass, I suggest you use a mix of grass seed. Using a mix will help you obtain a uniformly green lawn, as different varieties of grass green up at different times, and some do better in different areas of your lawn than others. So, using a mix, will keep the entire lawn looking nice. Using a mixture of fescue, bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. The key to choosing seed is to make sure the seed is high quality and contains very few weed seeds. All seed bags have a label which will list the content varieties of the seed, and the percentage of weed seed included. To determine if you need to seed and how extensive the seeding needs to be, you will need to take a close look at your lawn. Basically, if you do not have much grass, you need to do extensive seeding and work the seed into the soil. If you have a pretty good stand of grass, you can simply sow the seed and leave it alone. If you are pleased with the thickness of your lawn, you can probably skip seeding, and only do it every other year.

Renovate your dull, full of weeds, thin and thatchy lawn to give new fresh look. Here are Simple steps to follow:

1. Plan renovation so you can reseed during ideal planting time ‘ early fall or early spring for most typical cool-season grasses, such as bluegrass and fescue.

2. Kill the whole lawn if it is hopelessly infested with weeds; spray with a broad-spectrum herbicide like glyphosate (Clean-up or Round-up), and wait the length of time recommended on the label before proceeding with replanting. If weeds are not a big problem, you don’t have to kill anything.

    

3. Dethatch the lawn with a power dethatcher, available for rent at many rental yards.

4. Rake up the thatch and dispose of it, or add it to a compost pile.

5. Aerate the lawn with a power aerator, available at rental yards. Leave the dug-up cores (they’ll break down) or rake them up.

6. Level uneven spots by spreading topsoil and raking.

7. Reseed the lawn with a grass type adapted to your area.

8. Lightly cover the seed with 1/4 inch of organic matter spread with a cage roller; see “How to Plant a Lawn From Seed.” Apply dry lawn fertilizer, and water it as recommended.

9. Keep the new lawn moist until grass is established. Then water as usual.

Tips & Warnings

- It may take several weeks for sprayed weeds to die completely, so plan ahead accordingly. If you have really tough weeds, such as Bermuda grass, you may have to spray again in a few weeks to kill them completely.

- It will be easiest to use a dethatcher and aerator if the ground is lightly moist, not soggy or dry.

- Adjust the depth of the dethatcher blades to match the thickness of the thatch.

- Most herbicides work best if sprayed during hot weather.

- Follow herbicide label instructions precisely. Many herbicides will kill any plant they touch, so avoid spraying on windy days.

- Flag below-ground sprinklers before operating equipment. Otherwise, you may damage them.

Source: eHow

The cheapest method is the seeding that is where a lawn starts that gives you more choices. There are three important things needed in planting grass seed for best results:

* Buy Good Seed (take time to research and ask)

* Prepare the soil properly

* Keep the seed moist after planting

- When it comes to grass seed, there are several options to choose from so don’t be confuse spend more time to research for quality seed. And this should be planted in spring or fall. Because of weather conditions, fall is the grea time and you don;t have to deal with crabgrass,goosegrass and other grassy weeds. You can plant it after the last frost date in the spring or 6-8 weeks before the first frost date in the fall.

Just be reminded that you need to plant sprigs, plugs, or sod in warm winter climates in lawns of St. Augustinegrass and centipedegrass.

Planting grass from seed is an inexpensive way to grow a beautiful new lawn, but you need to prepare the soil carefully and watch over the sprouting seeds. Here are essential steps:

Step 1: Select the right type of grass for your area (see “eHow toChoose a Lawn Grass’).

Step 2: Measure the square footage of your planting area to determine how much seed you’ll need. Purchase the seed at a local nursery or garden center. Information on the package will tell you how much to buy.

Step 3: Prepare and level the soil, as described in “eHow to Plant a Lawn.’

Step 4: Set your seed spreader (a drop spreader used for fertilizer works best for most lawns) at the appropriate setting and fill it with half the seeds.

Step 5: Walking at a steady pace, sow the seed over the planting area, moving back and forth in opposite directions. Repeat the process using the rest of the seeds, walking at a 90-degree angle to your original paths. This will ensure that the seed is sown evenly.

Step 6: Fill a cage roller with fine-textured organic mulch, such as peat moss or ground bark. Walking quickly, push the roller over the planting area so a thin layer (1/8 to 1/4 inch) of organic matter covers all the seeds. This will help keep the seeds from drying out.

Step 7: Push a water-filled roller (about a third full) over the entire area to make sure the seeds and soil are in good contact.

Step 8: Water the seedbed thoroughly so the soil is moist to a depth of 6 to 8 inches. Apply the water slowly so that the seeds do not wash away.

Step 9: Keep the seedbed moist (but not soggy) until the seed germinates and the new grass is a few inches high. In hot weather you may have to water more than once a day.

Tips & Warnings:

* Once you have thoroughly wet the seedbed after planting, you only need to water enough to keep the top inch moist.

* Germination will take 5 to 14 days, depending on weather and grass type.

* When the grass is 1 to 2 inches high, you can begin to water less often, but avoid letting the planting area go completely dry.

* Heavy watering may wash away the seeds, and watering too frequently may rot the seedlings.

Source: eHow Home & Garden Editor

Planting a lawn could spend most of your time and effort and is also expensive. But now things can be improved with these known technology which is Hydroseeding It is easy to use and very effective.

- The process involves making a mixture of water, seed, fertilizer, cellulose fiber or wood mulch and occasionally lime, in the right proportions in a tank and spraying it on a prepared lawn area using a hose, for the mulch to become a moist coating that retains water for the seeds. It also helps create a bond with the soil, and protects the seeds from erosion, wind and sunlight which allows them to germinate easily.

- When seeds come in contact with water, their germination cycle is triggered and as the seeds sprout, they gain nourishment from the decomposing mulch which adds various nutrients to the soil. The mulch thus does not have to be manually removed and actually adds to the growth process. The grass develops a deep root system and an even leaf-stock pattern, making the lawn lush and carpet-like.

- The mulch coating ensures that the grass growth is healthy and fast: grass usually comes up within a week and is ready for the first mowing in less than a month. Due to the coating of the mulch which prevents erosion, hydroseeding is ideal for planting lawns on slopes or erosion-prone areas. In addition, since the hydroseeding mulch is sprayed on, it is ideal for uneven areas, which are tough to do using other methods. There are no weed seeds in the hydroseeding mulch, which means that the lawn would be initially without any weeds at all. The mixture is usually dyed an organic green making it more visually attractive even before the grass begins to grow as opposed to the straw used in conventional planting.

- The best feature of hydroseeding which actually makes it more attractive than applying sod is the cost. The labor cost is much lower, and one doesn’t have to pay for things like growing, weeding, palletizing and shipping. In addition, hydroseeding can do with less watering because the mulch retains more water and thus saves on water bills. Once the mixture is sprayed, it must be kept moist at all times for the first fortnight. Depending on the weather, the sort of soil and grass being planted, the lawn area will need light sprinklings 2-3 times a day. This would be reduced to watering just once a day after the first two weeks till the first mowing. After this the lawn would need long waterings, but at long intervals so that the grass is able to send down deep roots, and is well established.

- Before the mixture is sprayed however, care should be taken to grade the lawn area and prepare the soil to receive the spray exactly the way it is done before conventional lawn planting or sod application. The hydroseed spraying should only be done just prior to the grass’s prime growing season in order to establish the very best outcome. And after the spraying, once the growth begins to show up, any uneven areas may have to be re-administered with the spray. Whether you are looking to plant a small residential lawn or a commercial area, hydroseeding is recommended because of its efficiency and economy. Plenty of companies offer hydroseeding services, and between them can offer the choice of grass and fertilizers desired for lawns of all types and sizes.