How to add organic material to established lawn?

Tracy – posted 12 May 2006 12:51

Hi all,

My lawn is a wreck. Lots of weeds and very little grass. It is mostly hard clay and is very patchy. My lot has lots of slopes so I am afraid to totally till up my yard.

What would be the best method of adding organic material to my lawn? What would be a good organic material to use? I have tried using a pull behind plugger but it mostly bounces around even with weight on top. The holes it left behind were no more than 1/2 an inch at best, and that was after a few days of rain. I would kill it off and sod it but I do not have the money to invest in it at this point.

Thanks for your thoughts.

tommy – posted 13 May 2006 11:42

Spray somthing like- ‘Lazy man Liquid aerator’ available at- Outsidepride.com Use it at the higher end recommended rate, and you may have to re-apply later in the summer.

Tracy – posted 13 May 2006 20:30

Tommy,

Thanks for the response. Are you suggesting to use the liquid soil aerator alone or in addition to trying manual aeration? What about the liquid soil conditioner? I never knew these products existed. Thanks again.

tommy – posted 15 May 2006 00:14

Yes, there are many products such as this to break the surface tension of the soil. Once the soil is able to except water better on the surface, then you get better moisture penetration and a softer soil profile. Mechanical aerification will also penetrate much further down once you soften the soil. Since the area is on a slope, it would probably be a good idea to aerify again after you use the liquid product.

Grassguy – posted 11 June 2006 02:06

core aeration and the topdressing with finished compost is best. The liquids are a gimmick