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In this video, This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook breathes new life into an old lawn.
Lawn Renovation Steps:
1. Put on hearing protection and mow the lawn to a height of 1½ inch. Be sure to collect the grass clippings.
2. Run a de-thatcher across the entire lawn to remove dead plant matter.
3. Use a leaf rake to collect and remove all the thatch pulled from the lawn.
4. Run a gas-powered core aerator across the lawn.
5. Rake up and remove the soil plugs extracted by the aerator.
6. Spread compost over the lawn and rake it down into the holes.
7. Analyze the physical structure of the soil with a soil test kit; amend the soil as necessary.
8. Use a broadcast spreader to over-seed the lawn with new grass seed. Adjust the spreader to dispense seven pounds of seed per 1,000 square feet area.
9. Use backside of leaf rake to lightly work the grass seed into the lawn.
10. Lightly water twice a day to keep the lawn damp, not soaking wet.