Compacted soil under grass lawn

Hello, we have had difficulty growing grass for many years. We believe the issue stems from the earth being compacted. We have patches where the grass refuses to grow. The soil is baked solid. We do not have grubs nor…

Grubs in grass and garden

Skunks and/or raccoons are digging up lawn or tossing sod to get to grubs which I know I have. I use nematodes to control grubs. Is it too early to apply nematodes given its barely mid August. I know it…

Grass alternatives

I live on the Oak Ridges Moraine and have at best 2 inches of soil before I get to sand. The previous owner spent significant sums of money to maintain lawns. With the lack of soil, some grass grows but…

Wild Strawberry Vine

I have wild strawberry growing throughout my lawn in my backyard. It appears impossible to get rid of as it grows underneath the grass and just creates an entire interconnected system. Once it has developed as it has is there…

Lawn Compost planning for September Lawn top dressing

If I wish to buy some compost for the lawn, do I have to wait for the middle of September? Will storage in an old garage make cause the compost to lose its constituency of being light, consistent, well rotted,…

“Lawn composting” follow up query

For the 400 square foot lawn space, how are the grass roots stressed by composting? My biggest concern was smothering the plant by using too much compost, when I do schedule composting. An aggressively pruned city European Beech tree has…

Aerating Lawn With A Basic Bow Rake?

If I want to aerate a small lawn in west end toronto, can I bob my bow rake up and down across my lawn and my neighbours’ lawn? It just cuts down on my clutter, and I just want to…

Creeping Thyme garden bed – grass attack

Dear MASTER Gardener I have planted red creeping thyme (Thymus coccineus) along my front yard by taking out the grass. They are super ground cover. I put them in a year and a half back and they have taken over…

Applying Lawn Top Dressing Consistently

With my neighbour, we share a small lawn which is about 20 feet by 30 feet. I’d like to buy some top dressing, and a video suggests using a special levelling rake. Our lawn is level, so could I use…