Question
Our front lawn has compacted soil in one area.I can grow new grass, but it dies quickly with such poor draining soil .A lawn co. told me I have brown patch fungus,but after reading a true desciption I don't believe that is it. We have a crabapple in one corner and a pine in the other which cause problems from the fruit and the needles.I planted new grass,in the spring ,which grew but died and browned up in early summer,Also we were using chem-lawn,but have now stopped and will try organic...I read your answer about sugar. Should I roto-till and re-plant the whole area?Aerate?We had a co. do that in the spring ,on very dry soil and it was a waste of our $.

Answer
Hi Joan;
It sounds like it could be brown patch, ut it could be just because the soil is not kletting water soak into the grass roots.
It woukld save you some time if you tilled in some soil amendments to loosen up that hard soil.
You need to loosen it up at least about 6 to 8 inched deep.
Organics will consistantly improve the soil drainage over the years, but to get a head start of a few years, tilling in some bark mulch will loosen it up to let the grass start growing now.
Put down about 3 to 4 inches of bark mulch all over, add some lava sand, and some alfalfa meal and corn gluten and you will really fix up your soil.
I have been advising humus and peat moss mixed with the bark mulch, but from what I have leqarned this year, I would put lava sand and alfalfa meal instead.
The alfalfa meal, down, just enough to see it all over the yard. I don't know what the bag I got weighed, it is not as heavy as some things, but I would say about 40 pounds. One bag of that for about 2000 to 3000 sq.ft, and about as thick a coverage of lava sand.
The lava sand of course is a lot heavier, because it is pulverized lava rock.
Both of thoise things are full of nutrients, and the corn gluten is a weed and feed as well as a good fungicide.
It will prevent fungus if it exists or if it doesn't, before it gets started.
Till all that in with the existing soil, to a depth of about 8 to 10 inches, and yopu should have passable soil that will let you grow a lwan, and continuing the organics will continue to improve the soil.
After you till or before, add sugar at the rate of 1 pound per 250 sq.ft.
Sugar nourishes the beneficial microbes that enrich the soil, so is you apply sugar in the spring and fall, and water it in well, you need not buy fertilizer. Weeds love poor soil and will not thrive in rich soil, so when the soil is rich, you will not have to be concerned about weeds. so no old poison weed killers.
The corn gluten is what they get wne they make corn syrup, so it has a lot of nutrients in it, and is a good fungicide, or you can use baking sofa disolved in water for a fungicide. Hydrogen Peroxide is also a good fungicide.
Add about 1/2 tsp hydrogen peroxide to a vase of water for flowers, and you won't get the stinky water and slimy stems, and won't have to change the waqter every day in a cut flower arrangement.
Water deeply, to a depth of at least 6 inches.
This encourages a deep root system, and deep roots protect from heat, cold and drought damage, and prevents thatch. Earthwork\ms and beneficial insects will keep the soil aerated, so you don't have to do that anymore, and beneficial insects and the critters like, toads, lizards and grass snakes that will live in the healthy enviornment you create for them, will eat all the harmful insects that invade your lawn, so never have to buy insecticides again.
Organics not only give you a much better yard with less work, it saves you a ton of money.
Write anytime you feel I can help.
Charlotte