Michigan Homeowners: 4 Ways to Help Your Lawn Recover from Summer Traffic

Summers in Michigan can be tough on your lawn. Between heavy foot traffic, backyard gatherings and the hot sun bearing down, grass suffers a lot of wear by the time fall arrives. Luckily, autumn is the perfect season to restore your lawn’s health and prepare it for the harsh winter ahead. Here are four ways to revive your grass and keep it thriving year after year.

1. Aerate To Loosen Compacted Soil

During the warmer months, it's not uncommon for soil to become compacted, which makes it harder for your lawn to receive sufficient water and nutrients. Compacted soil not only negatively impacts your lawn’s health, but it can also cause pooling water and excess runoff, which can lead to erosion and further weaken your grass over time.

Fortunately, aeration can help dislodge compacted soil and restore your lawn. By creating small holes in the soil, air, water and nutrients are able to penetrate the ground and access your lawn’s roots. This improves overall health and makes your grass more resilient to pests, weeds and foot traffic. 

2. Dethatch Your Lawn

After a long summer, your lawn can accumulate a thick layer of dead grass. Also known as thatch, this organic material builds up between the soil and the grass blades. Too much thatch prevents water, air and nutrients from reaching the roots, leaving your lawn looking weak and patchy. 

Detaching your lawn helps break up this barrier, allowing essential nutrients and moisture to reach the soil more effectively. By removing excess thatch, you’ll give your grass room to breathe, encourage stronger root growth and set your yard up for a healthier, greener recovery heading into winter.

3. The Importance of Overseeding

Over time, summer stress can leave your lawn looking thin, patchy, or worn down. Overseeding is one of the best ways to bring it back to life. By spreading new grass seed directly over your existing lawn, you fill in bare spots, thicken up weak areas, and introduce improved grass varieties that are more resistant to pests, disease, and drought. 

This not only enhances the overall look of your yard but also strengthens its durability, ensuring your lawn bounces back healthier and greener as it heads into the cooler months. Overseeding is especially beneficial for some of Michigan’s most popular grasses, including Kentucky Bluegrass, Perennial Ryegrass and Tall Fescue, which is typically done in late summer.

4. Treat Your Soil to a Topdressing

You’ve aerated, overseeded, and de-thatched – but there’s one more way you can enhance your yard’s health ahead of winter. Applying topdressing with a soil conditioner can help balance nutrients, improve soil structure and create a better growing environment for your grass.

Since most South Michigan lawns are made up of clay, sand, silt or loam, a targeted topdressing is the best way to rejuvenate tired grass, enhance drainage and strengthen root development. This final step ensures your lawn not only recovers from summer stress but also thrives in the seasons ahead.

Additional Tips for Improving Lawn Health

• Mow high – Keeping your grass longer helps the soil retain moisture and encourages deeper root growth
• Water deeply – Giving your lawn a thorough watering less often promotes strong roots and helps your grass withstand dry periods
• Water in the morning – Early watering allows grass to absorb moisture before the heat of the day, reducing evaporation and helping prevent disease
• Keep your blades sharp – Sharp mower blades cut cleanly, reducing stress on the grass and preventing brown tips or ragged edges
• Keep up on routine maintenance – Regularly tending to your lawn by mowing, watering and addressing small issues early on helps prevent bigger problems from developing later

Looking for Lawn Care Experts? Visionary Fertilization Is Standing By!

Looking for expert lawn care service? Our team at Visionary Fertilization is ready to help! Based in Shelby Township, we proudly serve Macomb County and the surrounding areas. Our skilled technicians can help restore your yard and get it ready for the harsh seasons ahead. 

We offer a variety of lawn care services, including aeration, seeding and topsoil dressing. Ready to get started? Call us today at 586-315-6384 for a free estimate. If you would like more information about our other services, including outdoor pest control, visit our website by clicking the link here.