Q: (from Tom in Nampa, ID): I’ve heard I should aerate my lawn. How often and how do I do it?Tammy: It depends on your grass. If you have a cool-seasoned grass that does not have a fibrous root system, like fescue...you never need to aerate. If you have a warm-seasoned lawn like Bermuda grass, you need to aerate every three years.
You can rent a commercial aerator, which pulls plugs of grass out of the soil. It will leave a lot of holes in the grass (that’s what aeration is). You could also do it manually by walking around your lawn with aerator shoes.
Q: (from Kenneth in San Antonio, TX): What is the best time of year to seed my lawn to make it more lush and green?
Tammy: It depends on the type of grass you’ve got. If you have cool-seasoned grass, you seed in the fall. If you have warm-seasoned grass, you seed in the early spring. If you miss that fall window, you can seed your cool- seasoned grass in the very early spring.
Q: (from Joyce in Cleveland, OH): I recently had some drainage work done in my yard and I have a big dirt patch. Once I put the seed down, do I need to lay straw on top of it?
Tammy: You do. Your straw is serving as your mulch, keeping the seed in place and keeping birds from eating it. If you have a small area, you can buy a lawn repair kit. It has seeds and mixtures to hold it in place. Lay it out and wet it.
Q: (from Ray in Manchester, NH): What does de-thatching mean?
Tammy: De-thatching is removing the "thatch!" Thatch is a layer of grass clippings that accumulates as you cut your grass. You can remove it with a commercial de-thatcher, or if you have a small yard, you can do it by hand.
