“Every year, I go down to the hardware store. I buy a bag of grass seed. I put it in the little whirlagig unit my wife’s father gave us, and I wheel it all around the yard.” Scott has been going through this spring time grass planting ritual for over ten years with very poor results. The Kingston MA homeowner is getting frustrated. “The grass just doesn’t seem to want to grow here. In a few areas – this flat patch out front – it will grow in patches. But there’s always a lot of weeds and bare dirt. I’m not sure what’s going on.”
What Are the Reasons Grass Won’t Grow?
There are a number of reasons grass won’t grow. Luckily most of these reasons can be addressed with simple lawn care treatments. Some of these treatments are DIY in nature – for example, if your lawn doesn’t get enough water, you can water the grass using a hose or sprinkler – while others, such as lawn aeration, may require a call to the local lawn service for assistance.
Reason Grass Won’t Grow #1: Not Enough Food and Water
Grass is surprisingly like a human being – without food and water, it won’t survive. We already mentioned the need to water your lawn. How often to water your lawn depends on a number of factors, including temperature – the hotter the temp, the more often you need to water; how often it has been raining, and any local water use regulations. Food for your grass means fertilizer. Fertilizer contains the minerals, nutrients, and organic compounds grass needs to start strong and grow for a long time. In the Kingston area, we recommend fertilizing at least 3 times annually – spring, mid-summer, and fall.
Reason Grass Won’t Grow #2: Soil is Rock Hard
This is something we see often with new construction homes, homes that have undergone recent extensive renovations, or homes in new developments: the soil is rock hard. This is often due to the nature of the fill used to level the ground for building purposes, as well as traffic from construction vehicles and equipment crossing the ground. The soil becomes what we call compacted – too hard for sunlight, oxygen, and rainwater to penetrate the surface and reach the grass’s root system.
The remedy for rock hard soil is called soil aeration. Soil aeration loosens the ground so the grass can grow. Your local lawn service can perform soil aeration at any time of year, but spring is an especially promising time if your goal is improved grass growth.
