Rejuvenating a Tired Lawn

 The key to a green, healthy lawn may lie underground, ground that is often hard and dry. One major obstacle that homeowners must deal with in Santa Clarita is compacted soil.  During the construction phase of home building, the soil is compacted by heavy machinery. This is done intentionally, much to the chagrin of those who work in the garden.
Another factor limiting the success of our lawns is clay soil.  Clay soils have the ability to harden like cement.  Getting water, oxygen, and fertilizer to penetrate through the soil into the root zone can be very difficult.  Lawns, much like humans, need food, air, and water to thrive.
Problem spots in the lawn, caused by improper water penetration, lack of fertilizer, and certain fungal diseases, can be avoided by aerating. Aeration is the process of opening holes in the ground and removing plugs of soil.  This process allows fertilizer, water and air to get to the root system. Aerating is best done in spring or fall, avoiding the heat of summer.  This can be accomplished by the use of a hand-held aerating tool or by the use of a gasoline powered machine.
The hand held aerating tool works fine for average size lawns, or trouble spots.  For a large lawn area, consider renting an aerating machine or contact a gardening service to do the job for you. Hand held aerators may be purchased at most garden centers.  The machinery can be rented from local rental yards. After the lawn is aerated, the plugs should be raked up and added to the compost pile.
After the aeration process is completed, fertilize the lawn with a complete fertilizer. This would also be the time to apply gypsum.  Gypsum aids in the breaking up of heavy clay soils.  Gypsum is available in powder or pellet form.  The pelletized form is much easier to work with, and contains some nitrogen, iron, and other nutrients.  Once the fertilizer and gypsum have been applied, cover the entire area very lightly with an organic lawn mulch.  Then water thoroughly.
Within several weeks, a rejuvenated lawn will appear, certain to become the envy of the neighborhood.
For additional information, consult the garden experts at Green Thumb Garden Center located at 23734 Newhall Ave. in Old Town Newhall.