Bare patches on your lawn can make any gardener feel deflated, especially when you’ve worked so hard to make your yard look green and luscious.
If you’ve noticed your lawn is looking bare in certain patches, you might be wondering: Will grass thicken on its own?
In this article, I will explore some important information on grass, including whether grass will thicken on its own and a step-by-step guide on how to thicken your lawn.
Keep reading to find out more.
What Are Some Common Lawn Mistakes?
Sowing Grass Seeds At The Wrong Time Of Year
If you’re new to gardening or have never planted grass seed before, this is a very common mistake. The best time to apply grass seed is during Autumn, when the weather is wet and cool to encourage the resulting young grass to establish itself quickly.
Watering At The Wrong Time Of Day
Another common mistake is watering your lawn at the wrong time of day. You need to make sure that you are watering at cooler times of the day, such as the early morning or evening, when the sun isn’t as strong.
This will ensure that your lawn will get a thorough water, as opposed to several light waterings throughout the day.
Cutting Your Grass Too Short
You will want to make sure that you’re not cutting your grass too short, as slightly longer grass blades can help protect the underlying soil from drying out. This is particularly important during a spell of hot weather or throughout the summer as a whole.
Will Grass Thicken On Its Own?
The answer to this question depends on the type of grass. Some species of grass can thicken on their own.
Although, there’s no getting away from the fact that lawns take maintenance, and to ensure that they’re thriving you have to frequently mow and take care of your grass.
That being said, your grass is much more likely to grow with a little additional help from you.
You can thicken your lawn through:
Overseeding – Overseeding is great for thickening your lawn in a variety of ways. These include:
- Filling in bare spots
- Enhancing lawn color
- Improving turf density
- Helping your grass to withstand insects, drought, disease, and heavy foot traffic
Grass thickener – Grass thickener is a mix of lawn feed and grass seed, that greens and thickens the lawn. It both invigorates existing grass while also adding new life to the soil.
Will Using Grass Thickener Help My Lawn?
Yes, applying grass thickener to your lawn can help it when it’s looking patchy. Grass grows thickly when given fertiliser.
In addition to this, applying an organic fertiliser can help the health of your lawn greatly, and should be applied in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.
It’s important to note that different kinds of grass have different fertiliser needs, but most grasses benefit from fertiliser around three or four times per year.
However, you will want to make sure that you’re not using too much fertiliser. When applied to your grass in excess, Nitrogen can have the opposite effect and can even pollute groundwater if you’re not mindful.
A Guide On How To Thicken Your Lawn
As I briefly mentioned above, sowing new grass seed is a great way to thicken your lawn. Below is a step-by-step guide on how to achieve this.
Step One – Prepare The Ground By Removing Weeds
To begin this process, you will first need to prepare the ground by removing any weeds. When using weed killer for this step, always follow the instructions from the manufacturer to gauge how long you need to wait before sowing your lawn seed.
Alternatively, if you remove the weeds by hand, you will need to make sure that you pull out the root.
You will also need to ensure that the lawn is free of any debris, such as twigs and stones that could interfere with your lawn mower when it comes to the next step.
Step Two – Mow The Lawn
Once you have prepared your lawn, it’s time to get your lawn mower on it. You will want to make sure that you mow your lawn closely, so put it on a lower setting than usual.
Step Three – Rake Your Lawn
Next, you will need to rake your lawn to ensure you achieve the best soil to seed contact and your lawn has the best chance of thriving. Raking your lawn will work to remove any lawn clippings, moss, or dead grass that is on your lawn.
Step Four – Aerate The Lawn
Aerating the lawn is an optional step, as it’s not always necessary. However, if the ground on your lawn is hard or feels like it is compacted, it’s recommended that you aerate your lawn with a garden fork.
Hard, compacted soil also causes grass to grow poorly, and running an aerator over a lawn can relieve compaction.
The purpose of aerating your lawn is to improve the growing conditions for grass. Aerating your lawn allows water, air and nutrients to penetrate the ground to increase root development, resulting in a thicker lawn.
Step Five – Sow Your Lawn Seed
Once you have reached this stage, you are ready to start sowing your lawn seed. When sowing lawn seed, you’ll want to work in sections, as you are aiming to achieve an even coverage.
Step Six – Maintain Your Lawn
You will need to make sure that you water your lawn on a daily basis until the seeds are established. This can usually take from 1 to 2 weeks.
If it’s a particularly hot day, I recommend watering your lawn later on in the day once the sun has gone down so the grass has a chance to absorb the water. It is better to water your lawn once a day thoroughly, rather than watering it several times throughout the day lightly.
In Summary
So, there you have it! Hopefully now you have a better understanding of how to thicken your lawn.
Good luck and happy gardening!
