What can I do for my waterlogged lawn?

Will anything ever grow here?

I stood in shock this morning viewing my yet to be landscaped “lawn” and wondered once again, “what can I do for my waterlogged lawn”? The muddy holes and ruts left from this newly built home appear to be at least a foot deep. It’s really hard to imagine that one day, anything at all will grow here. For most folks with established yards, you may wonder the same thing.

You want the bad news first?

Let’s say you do have an established lawn, even if it is brown and looks dead, it is still a living, growing plant. In fact, this is an important time for the root system to grow and expand, but it needs oxygen to survive. Brace yourself for a really disturbing comparison. The roots are so saturated by this non-stop rain, it’s as if they were being held underwater and drowning. Don’t shoot the messenger, but if temperatures dip into the low twenties or below, that’s even more stress on your grass.

Hang on, there’s more bad news.

There are some weeds that thrive in these water-saturated conditions. Heavy and frequent rain plays a big role in what types of weeds pop up and how fast they grow. So don’t get too happy when something, anything pops up in a few weeks. This is probably not what you were hoping for.

Let’s see. We covered the rain, cold, and weeds. What else? Wind!

What more can we drop on our exhausted and drenched lawn? Oh yes, wind. When you are left with wet, soft soil, and spring winds come into play, tree roots don’t anchor very well. If you have an older tree in your yard, or a tree that leans over or toward your home, now is a great time to contact a tree surgeon for advice.

Finally, some good news.

While you have all of this standing water in your yard, walk around and take notice, pull out your phone and take photos. The good news is that these notes and photos can tell you (and your lawn care professional) lots about problem areas. You may not remember as much in a few weeks when the sun is shining and the “ponds” have dried up. Look for specific problem areas that are holding water. These areas are going to become thinner and produce more weeds, some could even seep under your foundation. While Lawn and Pest Solutions doesn’t offer drainage services, please contact us and we’ll be happy to consult with you and help you find a reputable contractor.

It’s going to be ok. Aeration and LPS can help.

You can’t stop the rain, so stop worrying. Grass is a resilient plant and it will break dormancy soon, making this an excellent time for aeration. The aeration process will fight the damage from so much rain and help it access the oxygen it needs to grow. If you haven’t aerated your lawn in the last year or two, you should definitely consider lawn aeration this year. You don’t have to ask anymore, “what can I do for my waterlogged lawn”? Our licensed lawn care professionals at Lawn and Pest Solutions can very quickly respond to your call and give you a free quote.