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Depending on the cause, there are several ways to correct compacted soils.
Soil compaction can be the result of too much foot traffic, repeated flooding, and anything that kills off microorganisms naturally found in healthy soils. Once the microorganisms have been depleted, the ground is no longer healthy and turns into a waste-land. Only the most robust plants can live here, which in our lawns, are weeds.
Always mow grass to the proper height using a lawn mower with a sharp blade. Never cut off more than ⅓ of the grass blade when mowing. Grass needs the surface area of the blade to sustain itself. Removing too much of the blade creates an environment ripe for disease. Never blow grass clippings onto the street. They will end up in the storm sewer and only add additional nutrients to streams and rivers already overloaded with minerals from run-off.
If you mow your own lawn, have your lawn mower checked each season to ensure it has a sharp blade. Professionals sharpen their blades multiple times throughout the growing season. Having a sharp blade ensures that the turfgrass is sheared off properly and not smashed. Using a dull blade creates a ragged edge that will open the plants to disease infection.
All turfgrasses have to have enough light to grow. A few kinds of grass will tolerate slightly less sun per day than others, but they still require a certain amount of sunlight. Often, a tree that has matured will now be shading the lawn to such a degree that the grass can’t survive. If this is the case, we recommend pruning the trees and shrubs to let the sunlight and air circulate. This helps promote growth and discourage disease and opportune weeds.
On occasions, Mother Nature doesn’t always cooperate in providing enough water at the right time throughout the growing season. When this occurs, you may want to consider adding additional water. For the best results, we recommend that you water deeply in the early morning. Deep and infrequent watering reaches the roots, where healthy grass comes from. Your lawn requires approximately one to two inches of water a week to survive. Any more than that and you may cause additional problems for your lawn.