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Lawn Help #750709

Asked May 18, 2021, 5:36 PM EDT

Helllo, I recently moved into my new home 1 year ago. Last spring when I moved in I had a luscious green lawn. No weeds or dead grass in site. Over the summer of 2020 my lawn took a huge hit with the drought and I had a grub issue that took a toll on more than half of my yard. Come early fall of 2020 my association sprayed for grubs. Also in fall of 2020 because the ground was so hard I had a core aeration along with an over seed done on my lawn. Fast forward to spring of 2021 I got a soil test done to my lawn to see how it is doing and I have attached photos of what my lawn currently looks like. It is exponentially better now than it was last summer but as you can see in the photos there are still bare spots and patches of shorter and longer grass. I'm wondering what I should be doing to fill in these spots or what else I should be putting on my lawn to help it thrive and grow like it was before. I should also note that I recently wrote to my HOA and they gave me the following schedule of lawn maintenance they are planning to do this season: 1st Application – April – Fertilization, Crabgrass Pre-emergent & Weed Control 2nd Application – May – Fertilization & Weed Control 3rd Application –June – Fertilization, Weed Control & Post-Emergent Crabgrass control if needed Grub Control – June – Preventative Grub Control 4th Application – August – Fertilization, Weed Control & Post-emergent Crabgrass Control if needed 5th Application –Sept – Fertilization & Weed Control My questions are: 1) Will these bare spots and shorter grass end up filling themselves eventually or is there something I should be doing? 2) I have a 6 zone irrigation system. How much should I be watering weekly?

Macomb County Michigan

Expert Response

Thanks for the question.

Lawn maintenance can be tricky.  Getting a soil test is an excellent way to see if your soil is supportive of your turf. Bare spots should be seeded.  Irrigation amounts will vary based on several factors. Also, your potassium is low.  Potassium is helpful in handling stress light drought.  The pH is also high and may affect the uptake of some nutrients. Check out the following links for details:

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/tips_for_reseeding_lawns_in_the_spring 

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/lawn-irrigation-tips

https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/helping_your_turf_during_dry_and_hot_weather

https://extension.psu.edu/turfgrass-fertilization-a-basic-guide-for-professional-turfgrass-managers

I hope this is helpful.

An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 18, 2021, 9:30 PM EDT

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