How to Maintain High-Traffic Grass

Although it’s a tough plant, your grass will eventuallydecline due to high usage from people (and pets).This decline can lead to bald patches, compact soil, and weeds. High-trafficlawns include areas like apartments,condominiums, park and sporting areas, and just active family yards. Fortunately,through key preparation and treatment steps, you’ll be able to minimize damageand quickly repair your lawn.

Anticipate High-Traffic Days

If your location is scheduled for a high volume of people ona certain day, there are ways to prepare the lawn for this to better protect itfrom decline.

• Prioritizeyour lawn: Map out where most of the people will be and block out areas ofgrass that’s unnecessary for the event. This will save large portions of yourlawn from any damage.
• Mowhigher: Keep your lawnlonger than usual because taller blades of grass will be able to soften theblow of any impact it may sustain.
• Beprepared: Ensure the grass is dry for the event by giving the lawn time todry after being watered and have a contingency plan in place if rain hasmuddied your lawn.

Active Lawn Treatment Process

If there wasn’t enough time to prepare and you’re alreadyfaced with declining grass, there are still ways to combat this. Establishing atreatment process will help restore your lawn back to a healthy state and makeit more capable of withstanding high-traffic in the future.

Evaluate the State of Your Lawn

The best way to figure out if your lawn has been affected byhigh-traffic is to assess the damage.

• Is thesoil too moist or dry? Don’t feel obligated to stick to your schedule whenit comes to watering your lawn. Dry and moist soil will only worsen theproblems caused by high usage.
• Are therebald or discolored sections? This can be a result of high-traffic in onespecific area where grass blades have died from the lack of oxygen.
• Is yoursoil thick and clumped together? Constant usage causes soil to becomecompact and block oxygen from penetrating the soil leading to a lackof nutrition.

Aerating Your Lawn

High-traffic grass will always result in clumped and compactsoil. Aerationpenetrates the soil to loosen it up for air and nutrients to make their wayin. Water should first be applied to the grass to make this process easier. Afterward, adding a fresh layer of nutrientsfrom compostor another fertilizer that’s specific for high-traffic grass will help jump-start your lawn’s road to recovery.

Overseeding and Dormant Overseeding

There are two different processes, but they have the sameend goal which is to create a healthier lawn. Overseeding is adding a coat ofnew grass seed to your existing lawn. Dormant overseeding is introducingadditional grass seed in the winter to germinate in the spring. These processeswill create a thicker layer of grass for a stronger lawn all season long.

Are you ready to turn your lawn into a masterpiece? At Dolan Landscaping, we provideexcellent lawnmaintenance that ensures your lawn is ready for success year round. Ifyou’re ready, then so are we, contactus today for a free consultation.