Binghamton Agway Farm & Home Store
145 Broad Avenue Binghamton, NY 13904
(607) 723-7409
bafeedback@binghamtonagway.com
 

Store Hours
Mon - Fri 8am - 8pm
Sat 8am - 6pm
Sun 8am - 5pm
click here for store location

 Even the best lawns need renovating from time to time. Often weeds, insects, disease or drought damage the turf, making it necessary to reestablish an area or the complete lawn.

For successful lawn renovation:

Prepare the Area

If weeds or unwanted grasses are a problem, apply a non-selective herbicide such as Roundup Grass and Weed Killer or Spectracide Grass and Week Killer to thoroughly cover the problem grasses and weeds while they are actively growing. Do not water the lawn for 24-48 hours. Seven days after the application of the herbicide, mow the lawn as closely as possible and collect the discard the clippings.

Prepare the Soil

Rent a dethatcher, verti-cutter or lawn-renovator. This machine has vertical knives, which cut into the thatch and soil. Set the depth of the machine so it just cuts into the upper soil, to a depth of ¼ to ½ inch. This will dig out most of the grass and weeds, including the dead thatch. Rake up and discard this debris.

Test Soil pH

Test the soil to determine the pH level. If pH is below 6/4 add lime. Agway Pelletized Limestone is easy to apply with a spreader and reacts quickly with the soil.

Spread Seed

Ask your Agway lawn care expert to help you pick the grass seed that best matches your growing conditions, such as Agway Sunny Green, Shady Green or Wear Green. Apply the grass seed easily and uniformly with a broadcast or drop spreader. Spread half the seed, then spread the other half at right angles to the original rows. Rake lightly to barely cover the seed with soil.

Fertilize

Spread Agway Greenlawn Crabgrass Preventer and Turf Starter on the prepared seedbed using a spreader.

Mulch & Water

Cover the area lightly with compost, peat or straw to hold in moisture. Finally, it is important to keep the soil surface moist until the grass seed germinates and emerges from the ground. This can be done with frequent light waterings, 3-4 times, throughout the day. Once the grass seed emerges, 1-2 longer waterings per day are recommended to keep the soil moist and encourage deep rooting of the turfgrass.

Mowing

Begin mowing when the new grass grows higher than 2 ½ to 3 inches. Mow regularly and keep mower blades sharp.