Fall Private Property Maintenance Focus

For many of us, this year has been a challenging year to maintain thick healthy turf. In some cases, the turf has become thin or sparse, exposing the bare soil beneath. This most often occurs in shady areas, along roadways, at the base of trees, or in sloped areas. When noticed, the bare areas must be addressed, both to prevent erosion and to promote the health of your lawn.

The Landings Association’s Private Property Maintenance Standards state that bare spots in lawn areas must not exceed 20% of the overall lawn area or greater than a contiguous 5’ x 5’ area.

Sometimes, growing turf in these areas is not a practical solution. Instead, these areas could be transformed into bedded gardens using ground coverage such as pine straw or mulch, and decorative shrubbery. A combination of shade tolerant native plants and a thick layer of ground cover not only will cover the exposed soil but also will help to retain moisture, keep weeds at bay, and enhance the natural beauty of our community.

If want to give turf a try, some residents have had success “over-seeding”, which is a method of adding grass seed to an area of thinning turf or using grass plugs. Others have chosen to plant sod in the bare areas to add both a layer of topsoil and turf.  Our Public Works Department has put together a Turf Management Series that provides the pros and cons of some different types of grasses used throughout the community. Please email us (CDD@landings.org) for a summary of that publication.

For more information about The Landings Association’s Private Property Maintenance Standards, landscaping tips, or a list of landscapers that regularly work in the community email CDD@landings.org.