How To Fill In Bare Spots In Your Lawn

Reseed The Bare Spots On Your Lawn

Rake your lawn really well and aerate it by prodding it all over with a large garden fork.

Mix together your grass seed with 1 part compost and 2 parts sand then sprinkle it all over the bare spots and water it well.

Mow the lawn at least once a week during the growing period.

Dont cut the grass too short or it may result in lumps, bumps, and even more bare patches.

Sharpen your mowers blade so that it cuts the grass properly and avoid walking on the reseeded spots.

Spread out grass clippings around the lawn to give it some additional nutrients.

You may need to repeat the process a few times but give it a few months first to see how the new grass is coming along.

You will eventually get there and have a full, lush, and even blonde

Why Are There Bare Spots In My Grass

There are several possibilities, Churchill says, and chief among them are dogs, turf disease and human error.

If a dog is relieving itself on your lawn, that can create so-called dog spots, or dead patches of grass that turn into bare spots. And turf diseases such as patch diseases kill grass in circular shapes. Over-fertilizing in one spot, spilling gas while filling the mower and using a grill hot enough to toast the grass underneath are all typical ways you might accidentally cause bare spots yourself.

Generally, spots dont just show up without any reason, explains Churchill. A bare spot is a dead spot, and its a remnant of something else thats gone wrong its almost like bare spots are scars.

How Do I Fix Bare Spots In My Lawn

My services do not repair bare spots. I do offer a general over-seeding in mid-August through early-September, but it is not designed to repair bare spots because bare soil requires more of a long-term effort to be successful. Many of the lawn mowing / landscaping companies do this type of work on the side for a reasonable price. To fix a bare spot, you will need to:

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Final Thoughts About Bare Patches In Lawn Grass

Will grass spread to bare spots? As Ive explained here it depends. To understand if your grass will spread to bare spots on your lawn requires that you first identify which kind of grass you have in your lawn.

If you live in the south and are lucky enough to have Bahia, Bermuda, or Zoysia grass, then the answer is likely yes. However, if you live in the north and have different types of grass then the answer is probably no.

However, even if you are blessed with grass that has rhizomes or stolons, I usually recommend that you reseed bald patches on your lawn with a blend of grass that matches your turf.

Leaving a bare patch on your lawn and waiting for grass to repair itself can invite aggressive lawn weeds to take root. Re-seeding a small area is easy to do, costs very little, and within a few weeks you can enjoy a uniform carpet of grass.

When To Patch Bare Areas Of Your Lawn

Ideally, patching bare areas with seed or sod should be done early in the growing season so it can take root and blend into the surrounding area before the winter dormant season. This ideal time depends on the climate where you live.

Patching with seed: In northern cold-winter zones, the cool-season grasses that are most popular grow most actively in later summer and fall, making this an ideal time for patching with seed. But you can also seed in early spring, provided it’s done early enough for the grass to be well established by the time the hot mid-summer months roll around.

In warm-winter zones where warm-season grasses predominate, late spring and early summer is regarded as the best time to sow grass seed.

Patching with sod: You have a larger window when it comes to patching with sod. Professional recommendations for sodding a full yard are similar as for seedingearly fall for cool-season grasses, late summer for cool-season grasses, but if you are simply cutting patches for bare spots, you’ll likely succeed during most of the growing season, provided you keep the sod patch moist while it is taking hold. Remember that sod supplies at garden centers are seasonal in many regions, so don’t wait too long.

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.

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How To Repair Bare Spots In The Lawn

How you repair the bare spots in your lawn will depend on what caused them. If you have grubs, you will need to get rid of them. This will also help you get rid of nocturnal animals such as racoons or skunks. When you remove their food source, they are less likely to come and dig up your yard.

If you have a dog that is urinating in a spot on the lawn, you will want to water the area to move the salt from the urine through the soil. Then, you can rake the soil up and make sure that it is level. You will need to reseed the area.

These chewswork great for burn spots caused by dog urine.

Another cause is disease, and you will want to remove the top layer of the soil and clear away the dead grass. You should mix some new soil and make sure that it is level. You will need to overseed the area and be sure to water it so that the grass grows in the bare spots.

After you repair the bare spots, you should continue to maintain your grass as you do the rest of your lawn, but you may need to give it extra water. Eventually it will fill in and your lawn will look great again.

How To Fix Bare Spots In My Lawn

Once you have identified and resolved the cause of the Bare Spots, it’s time to repair the damage. Typically, you would only seed in the late Summer, during the months of August or September, as seeds germinate in the Fall so as to sprout in the Spring. In the case of Bare Patches however, we recommend that you seed the area right away, rather than leave it exposed. Read more about how to fix these areas, depending on their condition.

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Preparing Bare Spots For Repair

Mow damaged spots and surrounding areas at normal spring mowing levels, and then remove dead or damaged grass to expose clean soil. If leveling is needed, add or remove topsoil, rake spots briskly, and then smooth the surface. Loose, smooth soil invites new seedlings to take hold.

Delay adding pre-emergent herbicides or weed-and-feed products to repair areas. Unless applied at least five to six weeks before seeding, these products hamper seed germination and rooting.

How To Fix The Problem

Black Beauty UltraMost similar to what is grown on sod farms. The seed mixture contains exclusive, elite varieties of tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass, and perennial ryegrass. These cool-season grasses grow a naturally dark-green and beautiful lawn with excellent heat and drought tolerance. Black Beauty Ultra® grass seed germinates in about 14 days and will improve any lawn it is overseeded into.

Black Beauty Fall MagicSpecially formulated for successful fall seeding after Labor Day. It contains several cool-season grass types, including Black Beauty® tall fescues. Use it in sunny and shady lawn areas on established lawns or to start a new lawn from scratch. Black Beauty® Fall Magic germinates in about 14 days and provides an attractive, thicker, greener lawn.

Love Your SoilBefore overseeding, its important to encourage good seed-to-soil contact. Clean out the dead grass, remove weeds, and get rid of rocks, sticks, or other debris. Loosens compacted soil and aerate it to give the new roots a better chance to grow. It will also feed the soil microbes, making the soil more alive and porous, and enhance root development

MAG-I-CALUse a soil pH tester to ensure that the soil pH is between 6.2 and 7.0. To balance the pH and help the lawn grow greener and healthier. It can be applied the same day as you introduce the grass seed.

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How To Plant Grass Seed In Bare Spots

Seeding bare spots in lawn areas is a simple task that can be completed in just a few hours. It can take several weeks for new seed to turn into green grass, but the wait is definitely worth it.

Before you seed the area, get down and dirty by pulling weeds and removing any dead grass from the area. Grab a rake and roughen the soil in the bare spot and surrounding area. This will give the seeds a better chance to work into the soil and establish their roots quickly.

The best way to avoid overplanting which causes weak and spindly grass plants is to mix one part seed and three parts potting soil in a bucket. This gives you a seed application rate of approximately 10 to 15 seeds per square inch and results in the healthiest-looking grass patch repair.

Spread the seed and soil mixture evenly over the bare soil and slightly into the surrounding grass area. A slight overlap is just fine you dont want to see any evidence of the patch job once the grass grows back in.

Covering grass seed isnt necessary, but it can be helpful to give the seeds a boost of nutrients with a light covering of fine compost. Once covered, gently walk over the area and tamp the seeds down into the soil.

As the seedlings grow to the height of the surrounding grass, gradually taper off watering until the former bare spot is eventually on the same watering schedule as your surrounding lawn.

What Is Fescue Grass

Fescue grass is a cool-season grass that grows in fall and winter and goes dormant in the summer and spring. Fescue grass has wide blades with dark green color. It can look shiny from afar but its leaves have a coarse texture.

Fescue grass can grow around 4 to 12 inches tall and can survive foot traffic very easily. The fescue grass is a very hardy grass that can grow in any soil type and can also tolerate light shade but loves sun to grow properly.

Fescue grass is usually grown in mixed lawn with warm-season grass like bermudagrass which is also a hardy grass that can tolerate foot traffic. This makes the lawn green all season long and does not go dormant.

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Can You Help Grass Re

Allowing grass to grow taller may make an ugly lawn, but it encourages grass to self-seed. So you may let your grass grow for a while without mowing it.

Unmowed grass produces seeds as the grass blades grow and the seed heads appear. The grass eventually re-seeds itself, although not all grass seeds germinate at the same time to cover bald spots.

You can rake the lawn soil to reveal the seeds and remove thatch so the seeds can reach the soil.

The maturation process may take a few weeks to a couple of months, yet you should see the seeds on your lawns in a month.

Use a lawnmower with a side blower to assist in distributing seeds on your lawn during mowing. Cut only a third of the blade and other plants to encourage healthy growth.

After mowing, you can take steps to ensure the seed goes into the bald places. Then water the lawn. Then you must water your seeds for at least 30 minutes per day.

Suppose dogs cause the bare spots. Flush the area with water to remove excess salts. If the bare spot is a disease or other growth issues, scratch the surface from the dead area, add new soil and seed mix into the existing soil, and then water as you would with new grass seed.

How To Repair A Thin Lawn By Overseeding

If the turf has been damaged by pet urine, it will resemble a patch of straw in the center with a dark green ring around the outside. The urine acts much like a fertilizer burn. Ohio State University scientists recommend watering the area to dilute the concentration of urine. If you are able to keep pets off the lawn, the grass can be reseeded.

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What To Do If Your Bare Spot Has Thatch Or Dead Grass Overtop

Top Recommended Lawn Care Provider

Lawn care provider TruGreen offers five different annual plans and a variety of a la carte services so homeowners can customize their care for their lawns unique needs. Highly trained lawn care specialists can amend your soil, fertilize, aerate, and more to ensure that your lawn grows healthy, thick, and green. To get a free quote from TruGreen, call 866-817-2287 or fill out this form.

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What If You Plan To Add A Lot Of Topsoil To Your Bare Patch

If youre adding a fair amount of topsoil, you will be better off seeding in the late Summer or early Fall. The reason for this is that topsoil carries a lot of weed seeds that will sprout prolifically in the Spring and Summer. Keep the area wet for 3-4 weeks to get the grass to sprout and water it a couple times per week until it is fully established.

How To Fill In Bare Or Patchy Spots

Patching your lawn may seem like a big undertaking, especially if you remember what it was like setting up your lawn in the first place. But you can get it done in a few simple steps. First, choose whether you want to use seed or sod.

In either case, make sure to select a grass type that will thrive in your region and the specific conditions of your yard. If you have large trees that cast a lot of shade, you want to purchase a shade-resistant grass that doesnt need too much sunlight.

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What Causes Bald Spots

Thin or bare areas of a lawn can be a result of a number of lawn care issues, such as

• Heavy foot traffic, resulting in soil compaction
• Debris and items covering lawns
• Misapplication of control products

It’s important to investigate what the underlying issue might be, and try to remedy it to avoid future bald patches. If you’re no detective, speak to a lawn care professional and they’ll look at things such as your soil condition and help you get to the bottom of it.

Water The New Grass Plugs

• Your watering schedule will probably look something like this:
• Weeks 1 2: 3 times a day for 20 minutes
• Week 3: 2 times a day for 20 minutes
• Week 4: Once daily.
• Thereafter: Follow the normal watering recommendations for the grass you are plugging.

• They can be a bit tricky to learn at first, but once you get the hang of it they are invaluable time savers.

• These sprinkler can be adjusted down to water even very small areas.

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