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Photo Credit: ©2000 Dolezal Publishing/Reed Estabrook

If more than 50 percent of your lawn is dead or covered in weeds, consider starting over from scratch.

If you have an existing lawn that’s looking a little worse for the wear, ask yourself this: Is my lawn salvageable, or do I need to start all over again?

You might want to restore rather than replace your entire lawn if somewhere between 20-40 percent of it is dead or has spindly, sparse growth. Even if your lawn looks green, check closely for weeds. If 20-40 percent of your lawn is just broadleaf or grassy weed patches, you may be able to fix those problem areas. You may also be able to get away with just sprucing up the lawn if it’s just overly spongy and filled with thatch (dead grass).

On the other hand, if more than 50 percent of your lawn is completely dead, just bare ground or totally choked out by weeds, starting from scratch may be the best option for you. This holds true if your soil seems to be a problem, too. If the ground is so hard and compacted that a screwdriver can bounce off it, it’s time to rip out the lawn and fix your soil to get any new grass off to a good start!

Whether you decide to restore or replace your turfgrass, try to figure out why your lawn went downhill in the first place. Did you neglect to de-thatch it or forget to aerate, fertilize or water it properly? Now’s the time to get your soil tested, too. This will help you determine if your soil needs any key nutrients and how to amend it properly, so you can correct all of the correctable problems before your new lawn is planted.

Once you’ve assessed your lawn situation and have your laundry list of things you need to do to help it thrive again, step back and figure out whether you want to take on the whole job, part of it or have a lawn-care specialist take care of it entirely. (If you choose the latter, be sure to get several detailed bids for the job before you hire anyone.)