What To Do If Your Bare Spot Is Exposed Soil
A Lush Lawn Can Still Be Prone To Bare Spots We Take A Look At The Causes How To Repair Them And Cover The Bare Spots
You finally have your lawn just how you want it green and lush and thriving. Then, all of a sudden, a bare spot appears. What to do? To find out why bare spots occur, and how to fix them to return your lawn to its splendor, we checked in with Joe Churchill, senior turf specialist with Reinders, Inc. to share his insights and tips.
How To Fix Dead Grass
Foot traffic and weather extremes like drought and flooding can damage your lawn, leading to patches of dead grass. Repair these spots now for a lush lawn spring, summer and fall.
This simple process requires just a single product, and depending upon the number of patches, not much of your time. Start with a grass seed product that combines seed, fertilizer and mulch.
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Repairing Holes / Pits In Your Lawn
If the holes / pits are only slight then repairing the grass should be a simple process and can be easily repaired with a little top dressing to level out the surface and reseed, but anything more than 1/2 deep you will need to follow the below steps:
Applying Your Seeding Mixture
Choose a repair mixture suited to your climate, grass type and sunlight exposure. Premium grass seed, moisture-retaining mulch and stabilized-release fertilizer in Pennington One Step Complete safeguard germinating seed and nourish emerging seedlings until the lawn is ready for normal care regimens.
Smooth the seeding mixture over the soil, applying it at a rate of 1 cup per square foot. This ensures adequate sunlight for germinating and proper seed-to-soil contact for quick, thorough grass establishment. Forget about planting depth and seed stabilization simply cover exposed soil thoroughly, and water the seeding mixture well.
Proper watering is the most important and often the most neglected part of the spot repair process. Moisture-retentive mulch reduces necessary watering and keeps protected seed in place, even on slopes, but expect to water at least once daily. Let weather guide your efforts adjust your watering to keep repaired areas consistently moist, but never soggy.
Keep repaired areas evenly moist until seedlings reach the recommended mowing height for your chosen grass type. For example, a dense shade mixture should reach 2 1/2 to 3 inches tall, and tall fescue should measure 3 to 4 inches, before you reduce watering to a normal weekly or twice-weekly schedule. Seedlings emerge over seven to 21 days after repair, depending on your mix, and reach mowing height in three to four additional weeks.
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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.
Should You Level A Lawn Using Sand
Sand is oftentimes used to level lawns, but putting sand on lawns can cause problems. You should never use pure sand to level a lawn. Most lawns contain a lot of clay, which already makes growing grass difficult. However, adding pure sand on top of the clay only creates further problems by turning the soil into a nearly hardened cement-like consistency, as drainage abilities are worsened.
Sand also dries out rapidly in summer, causing any grass that may be growing to suffer in the heat. Grass growing in the sand is also more susceptible to drought and cold injury.
Avoid putting sand on a lawn by itself. Using a dry topsoil and sand mix is much better for leveling uneven areas than putting sand on a lawn without mixing.
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Remove All The Grass In The Problem Spot
Dig up and remove the grass in the problem area. I find it easiest to wet the soil briefly first to make the soil easier to work with. Outline the problem area with a flat spade shovel. Enlarge the area slightly to make work easier and to ensure entire problem area is removed.
Using the same flat spade shovel remove the top layer of remaining turf and soil. Work from the middle out until the shovel hits the deep edge you created when making the border.
Water New Seed Or Sod
Keep the area moist, not soaking wet. In some cases, you may need to water two or three times a day. And be patient! Depending on the type of grass, it can take a few days to a few weeks for it to germinate. Let the grass grow about four or five inches before its first mowing, so the seedlings dont get yanked out. And dont mow while the sprawl is wet to avoid creating tire ruts. Follow the same irrigation rules for sod, but dont mow it until you can gently pull on the pieces and feel that it has rooted.
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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.
Can You Add Topsoil On Top Of Grass
You can add topsoil to an existing lawn — and in some cases, you should. Adding a layer of topsoil to your lawn is called “topdressing,” and it’s a technique you can use to improve the look of your grass. It’s important you prepare correctly and choose the right type of soil for a great-looking lawn.
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Plant At The Right Time Of Year
The goal is to get the roots established before environmental conditions become too harsh for the baby grass to survive. The best time to repair bare patches is when the grass is actively growing, says Waltz. That depends on where you live. Warm season grasses grow during the warm times of year, which is about May to mid-September. Cool season grasses grow during the cooler times of year until the soil freezes, which is roughly December to February. If youre not sure what you have, talk to your local university coop extension service. Both seed and sod are good options for patching.
It’s High Time To Fix Low Spots In Your Lawn
Have you noticed that your lawn is uneven? Does your lawnmower glide across your yard like a figure skater or bounce along scalping your turf from time to time due to dips and low spots. Low spots can be caused by tree stump removal, drainage problems, animals, and ant mounds, but dont worry. This is fixable, and you can do it!
In this post, we will share everything you need to know to fix low spots in your yard. We will cover two options.
- Option 1: Topdressing to fix small dips and bumps that keep your lawn from looking smooth and could even cause your lawnmower to burn spots in the turf.
- Option 2:Remove pieces of your sod, fill the low spots, and patch.
So lets get started!
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Kill Any Weeds That Have Grown In The Area That Needs Repair
These weeds can grow up and around new plugs before they have a chance to grow.
Chemicals
- I use Hi-Yield Killzall.
Tilling
- This will get rid of your existing grass without the need for chemicals.
Solarizing
- Solarizing involves tilling, watering, and then covering an area with clear plastic during the summer for at least 4 weeks. This is a more involved process but comes with the benefit of killing seeds in the ground, which the other methods dont do.
Amend The Soil For Healthy Growth
The health of your lawn and new plantings depend upon the soil in which it is planted. By placing organic matter into your loosened topsoil you can greatly improve the growing conditions for your lawn’s roots.
- Enrich the soil with compost or a commercial bagged product from your garden center. The darker the color of the soil more organic material and nutrients there are in it.
- Work the organic material into the soil using the spade and or garden rake.
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Will Grass Spread To Bare Spots
That depends on the type of grass in your yard.
If your lawn is Kentucky bluegrass or Bermuda grass two of the most common in the northern and southern U.S., respectively you may be in luck: The grass should spread to fill bare spots, Churchill says. Those grasses have runners, meaning vine-like stolons above ground and stem-like rhizomes below ground. They generate plants off the mother plant and will creep in and fill in bare spots on their own, he says.
Additional types of running grasses to consider in southern climates are St. Augustine, centipede grass and zoysia grass. In northern climates, creeping red fescue is an option.
According to Churchill, your chances of having an existing spreading grass are higher in the south. Many northern grasses are bunch-type grasses which dont spread, so youll need to reseed to get grass to fill in. Consider perennial ryegrass, chewings fescue or tall fescue, all bunch-type cool-season lawn grasses that can be used to fill bare spots. Note that tall fescue should only be used to fill in bare spots in an existing tall fescue lawn.
Tall fescue doesnt play well with others, Churchill says. It can get clumpy and unsightly if used as an overseeder or to patch repair grass in, lets say, a Kentucky bluegrass lawn, or Bermuda grass lawn.
Not exactly sure what kind of grass you have? Check with a local lawn care provider, garden center or extension service.
How To Repair A Lawn & Seed Bare Patches
Water’s only part of what you need to fix those dead spots in your lawn and keep them from coming back.
Bald. Bare. Thin. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain: Patchy lawns stink. Until automatic, self-repairing lawns are invented, we’ve got the next best thing quick and easy bare spot repair. Read on for the simple how-to, plus a few extras for keeping your lawn looking lush even longer.
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How Do I Fix Dead Spots In My Lawn
How to Fix Dead Patches in the Lawn
How do you fill bare spots in St Augustine grass?
Grass Plugs The first part of repairing bare spots in any kind of grass is to eliminate all of the old, dead grass. A thatching rake can be used for this, and can be very effective at removing old and dead grasses. Make sure to pull up all of the old grass, including the roots.
Fill And Patch Step : Rollie Rollie Rollie To Make It Perfect
Use a little of your sand and topsoil mixture to fill seams where pieces of turf meet. Then water your lawn thoroughly to soften the soil and use a sod roller to work out the seams in the grass that you just laid. You will need to use the sod roller on your wet lawn repeatedly over several days to work through all of the low spots.
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Sunday Patch Kits Make It Even Easier
The Patch Pro grass seed blend is optimized to work in most lawn conditions, and to grow in quickly. Our organic mulch helps to retain needed moisture and provide nutrients to the new grass.
Sunday Patch Kits are available to add on to your lawn plan at check out or from your plan account page at anytime.
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 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.
What To Do If Your Bare Spot Has Thatch Or Dead Grass Overtop
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How To Repair Bare Spots In Your Lawn
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. For example, if a bare patch occurs because natural foot traffic continually pounds one area, no fix will be permanent unless you also solve the traffic flow issue. And if the bald spots are caused by a lawn grub problem, new bare patches will crop up as soon as you repair the old ones, unless you address the grubs.
There are two easy methods for restoring bald patches in your lawn: reseeding and patching with sod.
How To Repair A Lawn With Seed
If your lawn seems thin all over, try overseeding it. The basics are the same as patching.
Patching Your Lawn05:58
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