Spring is the ideal season for bringing back to life a lawn in a home garden that has seen better days. We all know what a worn out lawn looks like; bare patches, tons of weeds and week yellowish growth. These of course are the symptoms of a struggling lawn. An understanding of the causes on the other hand, improves the chances of successfully revamping the lawn, and ensuring that the same pattern does not repeat itself in the future.

The reasons why a grass degenerates can be boiled down to two main factors. The first involves general care and maintenance. In a dry climate garden for instance, with long, hot summers, correct irrigation practices are crucial, as is regular mowing and at the correct height. Other tasks such as feeding and de-thatching, contribute to the success or otherwise of the lawn.

If a lawn has been poor from day one, then it's reasonable to assume that the soil was not adequately prepared prior to turfing. Assuming however that a grass did grow satisfactorily at one time, but has since declined, and assuming as well that the routine maintenance tasks are in order, then the reason behind its decline can probably be traced to compaction at the topsoil level, caused by the impact of excessive foot traffic on a relatively small area. Compaction means that the air spaces in the soil have been destroyed, resulting in inadequate water infiltration, and an insufficient exchange of gases. (i.e. not enough oxygen available for the roots to breathe)

In many cases, topsoil compaction can be relieved by the actions of a de-thatching or scarifying machine, that not only removes the thatch (the build-up of organic matter that decomposes very slowly) but also digs into the soil to a depth of one or two cm, thereby breaking-up the hardened, impervious top layer of the soil. The ideal time for this is the middle of spring, as the grass recovers quicker in the warmer weather. It is possible to scarify in the summer, but there is the risk of damage to the grass stems from the higher levels of radiation at that season.

Scarifying is most effective on perennial grass varieties such as Bermuda, Zoysia or Paspalum that grow by means of rhizomes. (Stems that grow horizontally below the ground) These tend to develop deep and extensive root systems, allowing them to recover from the effects of the scarifying. Conversely, great care must be taken with grasses that have shallower root systems and spread by stolons. (Stems that grow horizontally, above the ground)

Shortly after the de-thatching/scarifying, the lawn should be fed with a balanced fertilizer, containing the three macro-elements; nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. For environmental reasons, readily soluble fertilizers such as Ammonium Sulfate are not recommended today, but excellent results can be obtained from slow or controlled release fertilizers.