The 28-Day Lawn Care Challenge

Transform your lawn in 28 days

Follow our simple, day-by-day guide to a healthier, thicker, and more vibrant lawn. No more guesswork—just a clear path to a lawn you'll love.

Your 4 Week Plan

Week 1:  Assess and Prepare

This week is all about laying the groundwork. We'll start by understanding your lawn's needs and getting the soil ready for new growth.

Days 1-2:  Soil Testing
Walk your lawn, take notes, and get a soil test kit to check pH and nutrients.  You can obtain a soil testing kit from Land Conservation Office located in the basement of the Sawyer County Court House.  Soil testing is crucial for a healthy lawn because it reveals the soil's nutrient levels, pH, and overall composition, allowing you to tailor your lawn care to its specific needs. This prevents guesswork and ensures you apply the right amount of fertilizers and soil amendments, saving time and money. Furthermore, soil testing can identify potential problems like nutrient deficiencies, imbalances, or the presence of contaminants, allowing for timely corrective measures. 

Here is where you take a "Before" photo which we will reference later on Day 28.  
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Day 3:  Sharpen Those Blades
Ensure your mower blades are sharp to prevent stressing your grass.  Keeping mower blades sharp is crucial for a healthy lawn, as sharp blades provide clean cuts that prevent damage and promote faster recovery, while dull blades tear and stress the grass, making it more susceptible to disease and pests. A sharp blade ensures a uniform, healthy appearance, while a dull blade can lead to a ragged, brown-tipped lawn. 

Day 4:  Mow Low and Mow Short
Cut your lawn lower than usual to expose the soil for seeding. Mowing the lawn short before seeding or overseeding is important for ensuring good seed-to-soil contact and allowing sunlight to reach the soil surface, both of which are crucial for successful germination and establishment of new grass.  When grass is cut short, the seeds have a better chance of directly contacting the soil surface. This contact is essential for the seeds to absorb moisture and nutrients from the soil, which are necessary for sprouting. Taller grass can block sunlight from reaching the soil. By mowing short, you increase sunlight exposure, which is vital for photosynthesis and the growth of young seedlings.  While mowing short can initially help by reducing competition from existing grass, it's also important to consider the impact on weed seeds. Cutting too short can expose weed seeds to more sunlight, potentially increasing their germination. 
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Days 5-6:  Aerate and Dethatch
Break up compacted soil and remove dead grass to help new seeds.  Aeration is important because it improves soil health and promotes healthy grass growth. It involves creating small holes in the soil to allow air, water, and nutrients to penetrate deeper, reaching the root zone of plants. This process helps alleviate soil compaction, improve water infiltration, and enhance nutrient uptake. Ultimately, aeration leads to stronger, more resilient lawns that are better equipped to withstand stress and disease.   Dethatching is important because it removes a layer of dead organic matter (thatch) from the top of the soil, allowing water, air, and nutrients to reach the grass roots more effectively. This leads to healthier, thicker lawns by promoting better root growth and reducing the risk of diseases and pests. 

Day 7:  Allow Settling
This might seem like an odd step, but we want to give our lawn a day of rest, as well as yourself.  This is a good day to allow the aeration and dethatching process to take hold and start to allow for increased air, water and nutrients to penetrate into the root zone.  It's only one day, everything will be ready for week two on the following day.  

Week 2:  Seed and Fertilize

This is the most critical week. We'll introduce new seed and provide the perfect environment for it to germinate and grow.

​Days 8-9:  Apply and Spread
It is important to evenly apply new grass seed for a lush and healthy lawn. Proper distribution ensures that each seed has a fair chance to germinate and grow without competing too much with its neighbors or leaving bare spots susceptible to weeds.  Apply starter fertilizer and evenly spread new grass seed across your lawn.  Starter fertilizer is crucial for promoting healthy, early growth in newly planted crops by providing essential nutrients directly to the seedling roots. This leads to stronger root systems, faster emergence, and better overall plant health, potentially increasing yield potential. It's particularly beneficial in cool, wet conditions where soil microbes are less active and nutrients are less available.  You'll want to utilize a broadcast spreader and make sure you read the bag or packaging to ensure you're using the proper settings.  Proper fertilizer spreader settings are crucial for even nutrient distribution and healthy plant growth. Incorrect settings can lead to over- or under-fertilization, resulting in uneven lawn appearance, plant damage, and wasted product. Calibration ensures the right amount of fertilizer is applied, maximizing effectiveness and minimizing environmental impact. 

Day 10:  Rake In
Lightly rake the seed into the soil to ensure good contact.  Raking new grass seed into the soil is crucial for successful germination and establishment. It ensures good seed-to-soil contact, which is essential for the seed to absorb moisture and nutrients, and prevents the seeds from being easily dislodged or eaten by birds. Raking also helps to bury the seeds at the correct depth (about 1/4 inch) and creates a level surface for even growth. 

Days 11-14:  Water!  
Keep the soil consistently moist with light, frequent watering sessions. Do not let it dry out.  Watering new grass seed is crucial for successful germination and establishment. Consistent moisture is needed to keep the soil surface damp, allowing the seeds to sprout and develop roots. Too little water can cause the seeds to dry out and die, while too much can lead to disease or seed wash-out.  Aim for frequent, light watering, especially during the first four days, and adjust based on weather conditions and soil type. 

Week 3:  Nurture and Grow

Days 15-17:  Keep it wet
Continue frequent, light watering to support the fragile seedlings.  ​Watering frequency after new seed is crucial for successful germination and establishment. Consistent moisture is essential to prevent the seeds from drying out and dying before they can sprout. Initially, aim for light, frequent watering (2-3 times per day) to keep the top layer of soil moist, gradually transitioning to less frequent, deeper watering as the grass grows. 

Day 18-20:  Go Deeper
Reduce frequency but increase watering duration to train roots to grow deep.  Watering grass deeply and less frequently is more beneficial than frequent, shallow watering. Deep watering encourages the grass to develop a strong, deep root system, making it more resilient to drought, disease, and pests. Shallow watering, on the other hand, leads to shallow roots, which dry out quickly and weaken the lawn. 

Day 21:  Gentle First Mow
Mow for the first time at the highest setting, without bagging the clippings.  It is important to mow the new grass high as it protects young seedlings, encourages stronger root growth, prevents uneven growth, avoids stress on the grass, and minimizes the risk of disease.  So, let's set those mower decks high and give that bad boy a little trim.  

Week 4:  The Final Stretch

Days 22-23:  Weeds and Patching
Spot-treat weeds and reseed any spots that didn't germinate.  Spot treating weeds after seeding is crucial for the success of a new lawn because weeds compete with young grass seedlings for resources like water, nutrients, and sunlight, potentially hindering their growth or even causing them to die. While waiting for the grass to establish is important before using herbicides, addressing weeds early on prevents them from becoming a major problem later.  Reseeding bare patches after initial seeding is crucial for achieving a healthy, uniform lawn. It addresses areas where the initial seed didn't germinate or establish well, preventing future problems like weed infestation and uneven growth. Reseeding helps thicken the lawn, improves its appearance, and enhances its ability to withstand stress. 

Days 24-26:  Deep Watering
Continue your deep watering schedule. Mow your lawn at its new, ideal height.  As mentioned before, deep watering as compared to frequent watering promotes deeper root growth and making it more resilient to drought, disease and pests.  

Day 27:  Plan Your Routine
Create a calendar for ongoing mowing, watering, and fertilizing.  Standard mowing practices should follow, which include the 1/3 rule.  Consider the type of watering system you'll have in place.  Some folks have an irrigation system with sprinkler heads installed throughout the property and others do not.  They use a simple water hose and sprinkler head attachment.  If you're utilizing a watering system, you'll want to consider a weekly mow on the same day at the same time - weather pending.  If you are not using a watering system, consider mowing the grass every 14 days on the same day at the same time - weather pending.  Fertilizing should not be of high importance as you already applied starter fertilizer on Days 8 and 9 - just 18-19 days ago.  Starter fertilizer lasts up to 3 weeks after application.  As you get closer to Week 5, you'll want to look for a nitrogen rich fertilizer with iron to get that deep green color.  

Day 28:  Celebrate
Take an "after" photo and enjoy your hard work. You've completed the challenge!  Compare your Before and After photos to review your work to see the comparisons.  You'll see a fuller, and thicker green lush lawn.