Do you remember the very first day you had your brand new turf lawn? The installers just got finished, it was fresh and new, and your kids couldn’t wait to run around and play on it. It looked amazing, smelled great, and, best of all, didn’t even need to be watered. Your days of wishing you had green grass were over – your yard was as good as it gets!
Then, over time, you noticed that the nice new grass started to look a little faded. Maybe a few areas started to look a little flat where your dogs always did their business or your kids rode over it on their bikes. Perhaps the blades weren’t standing up as straight and tall as they once did.
Well, just because artificial turf doesn’t need to be watered or mowed doesn’t mean it is completely maintenance-free. That’s right. Anyone with a lawn – living or artificial – will need to take care of their lawn to keep it looking its best. One of the things turf owners eventually learn about is called reblooming.
How Turf Reblooming Works
Reblooming is a process that helps bring your lawn back to life. At Dirty Turf, we use a tool made specifically for this job that consists of a rotating drum with synthetic bristles. This tool, known as a power broom, will gently lift the blades of grass that are matted or leaning over and bring them back into an upright position without damaging the blades.
It’s important that you hire a company that uses the correct tools and knows how to use them. Reblooming is a necessary process to prolong the life of your artificial turf but, if the wrong type of tool is used, you could significantly damage your lawn, instead. Performing this process too much can also cause a faster breakdown of your artificial turf, resulting in the need to replace it faster than expected. This is why it’s important to consult with a respected and highly rated turf maintenance company to determine the proper amount of reblooming needed for your yard.
When you call our pros at Dirty Turf to ask about reblooming, we will assess your turf and determine:
- Which way we need to broom to reverse the matted patterns
- If your turf is nailed down properly so the turf stays in place
- Whether the seams are secured properly so the turf doesn’t lift
- The age of your turf and its durability for the reblooming process
Based on what we find, we’ll know exactly how to rebloom your turf and we’ll have your lawn looking lush and full in no time.
How Reblooming Helps Your Lawn
So, you may be wondering – how can a lawn that doesn’t even grow be “rebloomed”? When your artificial turf was first installed, you probably marveled over how perky the blades of grass looked. As your kids ran around, your pups played, and you enjoyed lounging in the sun, the grass looked and felt real. It was lush, green, and full of life.
After a while, however, you probably noticed that areas started to get matted down, maybe the seems started to show, and the blades looked a little, well, tired. These problems are what the reblooming process corrects. Think of reblooming as our company bringing your turf lawn back to life and giving it that just-installed look.
Here is what you can expect to happen to your lawn with the reblooming process.
Matted Grass Stands Upright: Over time, foot traffic, rain, and debris can cause your artificial turf blades to become matted down. The reblooming process retrains the blades of grass to stand upright again, looking like it did when first installed.
Drainage is Improved: Matted grass can impede drainage and cause water and other liquids to pool. Not only can this cause a slipping hazard, but it can also become a health hazard if the pooling liquid is courtesy of your pet after they do their business.
Infill is Redistributed: Over time, the infill that helps keep your yard looking lush and full can become impacted. The reblooming process helps redistribute the infill so your yard looks just like it did when it was first installed.
How Often to Rebloom Your Lawn
When it comes to reblooming, there’s a delicate balance of doing it when needed but not doing it too much. Over brooming can damage your turf and cause excessive wear, matting, memory loss, split your grass fiber, and even void your turf warranty!
Needless to say, it’s important to hire a company that knows what they’re doing. We strongly caution against hiring a handyman with a rented power broom for this job. There are many factors that go into properly reblooming your yard to avoid damage and keep it looking great as long as possible.
Some companies will rent power brooming equipment out to homeowners, and we also caution against going this route. It may look easy to use a power broom, but without the right know-how, you might find your turf wrinkling, buckling, stretching, or lifting when you broom it. You could also end up pulling out blades of grass and permanently damaging your lawn. It’s important to remember that warranties only guarantee against a defect with the turf, not a homeowner mistake caused by power brooming.
How often you need to rebloom your lawn varies on multiple factors including:
- How much use your lawn receives
- How old your lawn is
- The square footage
- The type of infill
- How quickly it gets matted down
Generally, homeowners know when it’s time for their lawn to be rebloomed. If it’s slick and shiny, the blades aren’t standing upright like they once did, and it’s looking lifeless and lackluster, give us a call. When we come to rebloom your artificial turf, we can help you figure out what kind of maintenance plan is best for your lawn so we can keep it looking good as new all year long!
