Question
I live in the Midwest.  My lawn is around 11 years old.  Right now my grass is green, however, it doesn't seem to be growing.  I have put the first bag of fertilizer on a few weeks ago.  Any suggestions on how I can kick start it into growing?  A lot of clay.  I will be aerating this week.

Answer
Pat: you have come to the right place.  There's nothing I like so much as tackling a lawn revival.  Let's get a few details out of the way:

1.  You have 'a lot of clay'?  That's GOOD NEWS, Pat.  Clay is chock full of vitamins and minerals that healthy grass needs to grow big, strong, and beautiful.  Clay is the best
stuff in the world to start with and you lucky to have it for free, right there, ready to use.

2.  Never use chemicals.  N-E-V-E-R!  They will instantly destroy ALL the life in your soil. If you use just one dose, you wipe out everything you need and you have to start all over again.  People who use chemicals will NEVER have the best lawn they can have.  Now that you have applied 'the first bag of fertilizer' we will have to begin there.  What was in that 'bag'?  Was it called anything like 'weed and feed' or something like that?  Just need to know so we can adjust as needed.

3.  You need SUN SUN SUN SUN SUN to grow great Grass.  Do you have Sun?  Not, Sun in the morning, not Sun in the afternoon, not Sun 3/4ths of the day.... SUN!  Any Trees? Trees cause Shade.  Shade does not equal Sun.

4.  Do you have traffic (i.e., Children and/or BBQs and/or Dogs and/or Badminton Nets)?  Any reason other than old age, tired soil and chemicals that your grass might be dealing with too much of something else?  Any stress on that Grass you want to mention here?

5.  What kind of Grass ARE you growing?  Do you know if it's Fescue, Bluegrass, Rye, something else?  Any clue?

While you are answering those questions, you should go out and get a soil sample and have your soil tested.  Don't even think about sodding as a shortcut.  The sod has nowhere to go.  It will be putting roots into the Unknown.  Sod needs great soil just as much as your seeded Grass. I'll get you great soil this spring.

Do not till.  The soil has been through enough already.  You want Earthworms and other things down there. You want birds to come eat breakfast at your house.  You want bugs (yes, you want grubs), you want ants and microbes and everything else.  But more than anything, you want Earthworms.  Your tired lawn needs them now more than ever.

Just start over.  This is prime time for Overseeding . Your aerating schedule is terrific.  But I need to know more.

Are we on the same page here, Pat?  rsvp