how to repair lawn patches

How to repair your lawn patches

• Remove all dead grass, weeds and their roots from the patch. Lightly rake the bare soil, breaking up any hard lumps or...
• Apply Gro-Sure® Smart Patch Repair to the patch with the built-in spreader up to a 2mm depth
• Water with a fine spray to moisten the mixture and activate the seed
• You can apply slightly less when covering thin grass...

Full Answer

How to repair dead patches in your lawn?

• Poor soil quality
• Bugs and other pests
• Fungal diseases
• Compacted soil
• Sun & heat damage
• Inconsistent grass seed
• And lots more!

How to repair patchy spots in your lawn?

There are several options:

• You can apply grass seed and fertilizer separately. ...
• Lawn patch products combine grass seed, fertilizer and mulch blends in one bag.
• Seed germination blankets made from wood fiber keep seeds and soil in place for erosion control.
• Where available, sod is an option. ...

What is the best lawn patch product?

• Pennington 1 Step Complete (Choose your variety: Dense Shade, Sun & Shade, or Tall Fescue)
• Rake or tiller
• Gloves
• Compost or amended soil (if you have very poor soil)
• Water
• Helper (optional)

How to reseed patches of lawn?

To reseed bare patches in a lawn, rake the area free of debris, get the soil loose, add compost to the area, and spread the grass seed with a fertilizer spre...

How do I fix patches in my lawn?

Here's the process:Clear out any dead, matted turf and other debris. The grass will germinate and root best when it comes into direct contact with soil.Loosen the soil. ... Scatter grass seed over the loosened soil. ... Fertilize. ... Mulch and water.

How do you reseed a small patch of grass?

0:111:13Lawn Care Tips : How to Reseed Bare Patches in a Lawn - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipArea clean it from debris. And then dig that area up a little bit with the shovel get it nice andMoreArea clean it from debris. And then dig that area up a little bit with the shovel get it nice and loose. Then come back with some compost.

How do I fix brown patches in my lawn?

Damage can be repaired at any time, though fall is best. To repair existing brown spots, rake the affected area to remove the dead grass, then applying Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair for small areas or Scotts® Turf Builder® Grass Seed for larger areas. With all of these products, be sure to follow label directions.

Does putting grass clippings on bare spots help grass grow?

0:001:00Growing Grass : Can Grass Grow From Clippings? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHowever oftentimes when you clip certain grasses you clip off seed heads that might have viable seedMoreHowever oftentimes when you clip certain grasses you clip off seed heads that might have viable seed in it. So that if you put that those clippings down the seed will germinate.

What is the best grass seed for patches?

Best Overall: Scotts Turf Builder Grass Seed Sun & Shade MixThrives in sun and shade.Holds up in droughts and cold winters.Resists disease.

Can lawn recover from brown patch?

The good news is that your turf can recover from brown patch. The bad news? You may have to wait until the active growing season to see an improvement in appearance. While a fungicide application can help prevent spread to other areas, spots that have rotted will need to regrow.

Can brown grass turn green again?

How to Revive Brown Grass. Naturally, rain will revive a brown lawn. However, if rainfall is insufficient watering the lawn deeply once a week will help your lawn to spring back to green.

What is the best fungicide for brown patch?

Headway® fungicide is an excellent choice for preventive control of brown patch. Headway contains the active ingredients azoxystrobin and propiconazole and delivers broad-spectrum control of brown patch, as well as all major turf diseases.

How to loosen a bare patch?

Dig over the soil in the bare patch to loosen it. This is best done with a garden fork.

How to get rid of dried grass?

Remove the dried up grasses. Clean up all the spots where the grass is already dried. Dig over the soil in the bare patch to loosen it. This is best done with a garden fork. Apply the lime on the cleaned up areas. You can use as much lime as you want. The lime will help bring the acid level down so the grass can grow.

How to keep grass seed from being eaten by birds?

2. Sprinkle a layer of topsoil or add a layer of straw over the grass seed, bare ly covering it so you still see some of the seeds. Covering the seeds with a little amount of soil or a layer of straw will help hold moisture and warmth and also protect the seeds from being eaten by birds. [4]

What to do if you have lawn grubs?

If it is lawn grubs, treat the problem and have them removed. There are non-chemical possibilities; ask at an informed garden centre about the options.

How to test for compaction?

Test to see if compaction is the problem. Stamp your foot hard onto the soil of the patch. If it feels hard on contact, you have a problem with compaction. This means that you will need to consider what is causing the compaction so that it does not reoccur after mending the bare patch.

What to do if Fido keeps lying on the same spot?

And if Fido keeps lying on the same spot, rubbing in the dirt, it's time to shift Fido to his own spot in the yard too.

How to spread grass seed?

Make sure that you are using the right type of grass seed for the region you are in. If you’ve spread a little too much of the seed, just even it out by mixing with the soil.

How to repair a lawn that has been patched with seed?

Spread a thin layer of topsoil or straw over the lawn repair area that you've just patched with seed. This protects the seed and, later, the sprouts from wind or getting washed away. More importantly, by covering the soil, it reduces moisture loss. A constant supply of moisture is the key to good germination for a repaired lawn.

Why is my lawn bare?

One of the most important parts of lawn repair is figuring out what has caused the problem. Sometimes an accident, such as a fertilizer spill, creates a bare spot in the lawn. Or there could be a plant disease, destructive insects, or competition for light and moisture from overgrown neighboring plants.

How to grow grass seed in a garden?

Otherwise, use a mixture of grasses appropriate for your region. Cover seeds with a light sprinkling of topsoil or a thin layer of compost. Then, lightly water the area to help the seeds germinate.

How to protect grass from birds?

Sow the patch with an appropriate seed mix, sprinkling half the grass seeds in one direction and the rest in the other. Lightly rake over the seed and protect it against birds with netting.

What is the best way to encourage grass seed to germinate?

A small sheet of polythene pegged over the area will encourage the grass seed to germinate.

When is the best time to repair lawn patches?

The best time to repair lawn patches is in spring or fall, when the weather is damp and cool. This will give the new grass a good chance to establish.

How do you repair lawn edges?

Lawn edges looking a little ragged? There's a quick and easy fix, as the RHS explains:

How to spread grass seed?

Sprinkle grass seed over the layer of topsoil. Homebase advises to check that the seeds are close enough together so no patches are left, but spread out enough for the grass to grow. You should be able to find the recommended application rates on the packet, but on average, a handful of seeds should be sufficient to cover a 3.2ft x 3.2ft (1m x 1m) area.

Why does clover make my lawn dark green?

Bob Flowerdew, Amateur Gardening's organic gardening expert, explains how clover creates dark green patches in a lawn as it adds nitrogen to the soil. True, if you have just a few patches, it will look like green blobs all over your turf. But, it's easy to eliminate these – and brown blobs as well – by sowing clover everywhere, he says. As a result, the lawn will stay green more uniformly and without the need for excessive watering throughout summer.

How to protect seeds from birds?

Cover the seeds with a light sprinkling of topsoil, to help protect it from birds. Take care not to block all the light from the seeds. If you want to go a step further, the Amateur Gardening team suggest to peg down netting to deter both birds and cats.

Can you cut out turf from another area?

Cut out an identical-sized piece of healthy turf from another area of the garden where it will not be missed, says the RHS. Alternatively, use new turf.

Is it easy to repair grass patches?

Is your lawn looking a little threadbare? Don't worry – it's easy to repair lawn patches with new grass seed to get it looking lush and green again.

Why is my lawn getting bare patches?

Bare patches in an otherwise full, healthy lawn may be the result of pet urine, heavy foot traffic, infestations by grubs or other pests, or a variety of other causes. There are several ways to effectively patch these areas, but you also need to consider the causes and correct them if you can.

How long does it take to reseed bare patches?

Reseeding Bare Patches. This easy method is inexpensive and requires only about 20 minutes of your time, plus some upkeep until the first or second mowing. Its drawback is that it will take several weeks for the patch to fully blend into the rest of your lawn. 1 .

How to get rid of grubs in my yard?

Rake the Area. Rake and remove any debris or dead grass from the area, using a garden rake. 1  Now is also the time to examine the area for grub damage. If the damaged patch of lawn pulls up easily, like a rug being lifted, you may have a grub problem that needs correcting.

How long does it take to patch bare spots?

A very easy and inexpensive method of patching bare spots is with seed. It only takes about 20 minutes of your time, plus some upkeep until the first or second mowing. Its drawback is that it will take several weeks for the patch to be mowable, and as much as six months for it to fully blend into the rest of your lawn.

How to break up soil?

Break up the soil with a hard-toothed lawn rake or a garden cultivator. If the soil seems heavily compacted, you might consider aerating it with a core aeration tool. This simple manual tool cuts aeration holes in the soil when you drive it into the ground with your foot.

How long does it take for sod to grow?

Sod will develop a shallow root system in about two weeks, but a deep root system can take as much as six weeks. If you live in a zone where hard frost arrives in early December, for example, it would be best to plant sod patches no later than mid-October.

How to grow ryegrass in a patch?

1 Use an appropriate seed for your region and micro-climate (sun or shade). Perennial ryegrass should be a part of the blend because it will quickly germinate.

Causes of Bare Spots in the Lawn

Bare spots in your lawn can be the result of heavy foot traffic (causing soil compaction), drought, disease, chemical burn and weed or insect infestation. Before beginning repairs, you need to determine the source of your problem.

Grass Planting Options and Methods

Once you have addressed the cause of the bare spots, it’s time to repair the damage. In most areas, the best solution is to replant the bare spot with new grass. There are several options:

Repairing Bare Spots

1. Dig up the area to a 6-in. depth, breaking up the clumps. (If the problem was caused by a spilled chemical such as gasoline or an herbicide, remove several inches of surface soil.)