How To Fix Bald Spots In Lawn

Get A Tailored Solution

Each issue is going to require a tailored cure, so lets figure out whats what.

Foot Traffic; You planted or inherited a lawn, cared for it, and people walked all over it. Whats up with that? Footpaths happen because people are walking in the same area, or the same path, repeatedly. These bald spots can take months of walking to show up but are very noticeable when they do. One solution is to create a natural stone walkway to encourage people to walk where you want them too, sparing your lawn. In fact, we have a blog all about creating a natural stone pathway right here!

Another solution is to reseed the bare area with Jonathan Greens Black Beauty Heavy Traffic® seed, which grows deep roots and tough, durable turf grasses.

Drought; To properly care for your lawn in times of drought, do your best to water your lawn during regulated hours.; If areas eventually go bald because of drought, reseed them with Jonathan Greens Black Beauty Original®, which is their most drought tolerant blend for sun & shade lawn areas.; It is specifically designed to grow well in clay or sandy soils.

Insect Infestation; If your lawn has glaring bald spots thanks insects feeding on the roots of your lawn, get yourself some Jonathan Green Organic Insect Control®. It kills and repels over 100 types of insect pests with a patented blend of organic, all-natural plant oils all while being perfectly safe to use around children and pets!

How To Fix Bald Spots

After youve taken care of what caused your bald spots, you can make them green again. Laying down seed so you have new, fresh growth is easy, but there are some things you should consider when you put new seeds on your lawn.

• Determine if the bald spot has room for pieces;of sod or perhaps a tray or more of grass plugs will do. The trays come with 18 – 3 X 3 square cubes of grass plugs.
• No need to remove dead grass unless fitting in a whole piece of sod. Then you must dig down enough so that when the sod is put in place it will match the existing soil level.;Plus, this will prep underlying soil where root contact and establishment will be better served.
• If there is enough viable grass with not enough room for a whole piece of sod, then grass plugs are the way to go. Plant them with 6 spacing from center to center. No need to remove all dead debris first but the more soil on the surface that exposed only quickens time that plugs will grow in.;Also, be sure to loosen soil between plugs so that grass runners may spread and root quickly.
• Finally, make sure you have good water support from irrigation in a uniform pattern over the repaired area. Full sun areas should receive 1 of water peruse.;Just monitor new grass for wilting and water well until it becomes established enough to survive off of normal irrigation cycles.

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.

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Break Up The Bare Spot And Reseed

Use a small gardening shovel or rake to break up the dry spot on your lawn. Remove any rocks, leaves or debris. Choose the appropriate grass seed for the spots shade density and cast the seeds over the turf. Spread about a half an inch of compost or topsoil on the strewn seeds.

Tip: To get good seed-to-soil contact, gently rake the seeds and soil into the grass.

Grass Seed Germinates Readily In The Spring So This Is The Ideal Time To Fix Any Bare Patches That Have Appeared And Make Sure Your Lawn Is A Solid Block Of Perfect Green

New lawns can be started from seed in spring, and bare-patches over-sown with seed to help them fill out. Patches can be caused by a number of reasons. Dog urine can burn grass and cause it to die back. If you leave a thick layer of lawn clippings on the surface of the lawn they can smother the grass below and create a bare patch. Sometimes a hole is left behind after youve removed a particularly hefty weed. Moles can wreak havoc. Whatever the cause, bare patches of grass are easy to fix with some grass seed.

If youre filling in patches, be sure to choose lawn seed that will match your existing grass. For example, if your lawn is made of fine-bladed fescues, choose a fine or luxury lawn seed mix, but if its a hard-wearing lawn with thick-bladed ryegrass, a box of general purpose lawn seed will suffice.

In general, with lawn seed the adage that you get what you pay for holds true. Good quality lawn seed will have high germination rates and shouldnt contain rogue grass species, giving you a better lawn in the long run.

Fork over the soil at the base of the bare patch, and scatter additional top soil over it if necessary, to create a crumbly seed bed for the lawn seed. Scatter the seed over the patch at the rate given on the packet and rake it in to cover the seed and prevent birds eating it. Many brands grass seed comes with a coloured protective coating thats supposed to make the seeds less visible to hungry birds.

More tips on getting your lawn summer-ready here.

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Will Grass Spread To Bare Spots

It really depends on what grass type you have. You may be in luck if your lawn is comprised of either Kentucky Bluegrass, Bermuda Grass, Zoysia Grass, St. Augustine Grass or Creeping Red Fescue. These grasses have runners, or vine-like stolons above ground and stem-like rhizomes below ground, allowing them to expand sideways and gradually fill in any Bare Spots that may have taken residence in your lawn. Your chances of having an existing spreading grass are higher if you live in the south. Most grasses in the north are bunch-type grasses, which dont spread well. If you need help identifying which types of grasses you have in your lawn, let us know.

How To Reseed The Bare Patches In Your Lawn

There are three reasons this option beats patching up your lawn with turf sod and they are:

a) its so quick and easy

b) its pretty inexpensive

c) its so quick and easy, like 20 minutes and youre done.

That said, there is some upkeep to keep in mind until youve mowed it a couple of times. But this stuff is easy too. Its just a matter of watering it appropriately, not walking across it and being aware of any unnecessary stress, such as a heatwave or drought. Oh and, just a heads up, it can take a few weeks for the new patch of grass to fully blend into the rest of your lawn. But with all that cleared up, heres how to recessed any bare patches in your lawn:

Start by raking:

If weve said it once, weve said it a thousand times, Rakes before mates! And we mean it. So grab your favourite rake and start by removing any unwanted debris or dead grass from each of your bare spots. Once youve done this, take a close look at the area to see if there are any obvious signs of insect damage. The easiest way to test this is to try pulling up the lawn near it. If it comes up easily, almost like a rug being lifted up while you vacuum the house, theres a pretty good chance you have a grub problem and that will need addressing.;

Loosen the soil a bit:

Spruce up your soil:

Sprinkle your seeds:

Spread your seeds:

Protect your seeds:

Watering is essential:

Ready, set, mow:

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When Wear And Tear Causes Thin Or Bald Patches

Personally I think this is a good thing. It means your lawn has been thoroughly enjoyed. But how to fix it?

Frequent traffic usually results in the soil beneath your lawn becoming compacted and thats what causes problems for the grass plants.

For a long-term fix-it you could think about putting stepping stones down in high-wear areas like grass paths or your route to the linen line. If your lawn is used for football and the like think about moving the goal posts every week or so. If the dog is to blame, try to encourage him/her to let off steam in another way or in a different part of the garden.

In the short-medium time you need to fix the compaction before you can repair the bald bits.

Start by aerating the area. Preferably by removing small plugs of lawn to create air-holes. A tool like this one is invaluable for aerating small areas and can be picked up from DIY stores or garden centres.

Next scarify raking out all dead bits of grass, roots, leaves, moss etc and really loosening up that top layer of soil. If its really hard, use a hand-fork to break the surface up.

Brush some top-dressing soil into the aeration holes if you can still see them.

Level the area with your rake and sprinkle on some grass seed. Water it well and keep it moist until the seeds have germinated and your new grass is growing strongly.

Its a good idea to avoid walking on the area until the grass is good and robust

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.

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How To Repair Bald Patches In Your Lawn

We are finally here! Now that you have a better idea of whats caused the bald patches in your lawn and have found a way to repair and prevent it from happening again in the future, its time to fix those horrible dead patches. Luckily its a relatively easy process!

The first thing you are going to want to do is remove any existing dead or discoloured grass and use a fork to turn the ground over where your dead patches of grass were. You wont want to lay seed directly onto a hard dry ground as you will have a very slim chance of the grass seed rooting, as well as the fact that as soon as it rains or you give your new grass seed a water you will see it float away!

There are alot of websites out there advising to then lay your lawn seed onto the newly turned over ground, which isnt incorrect, but I would personally advise mixing the seed in a bucket of top soil beforehand and then scattering it on the ground. I also turn over the ground once more with a garden fork just to ensure that there is lots of seed within the dead patch and add more if necessary.

If you are particular about your grass then you can can try and choose a grass seed that matches your current lawn, for example you can choose between a luxury fine bladed grass seed or a thicker hard wearing lawn seed. General purpose lawn seed tends to be the most popular seed that we use as its hard wearing and matches most well established gardens.

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.

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Why Your Lawn Has Bald Spots And How To Fix Them

If youve spent enough time in your yard, youll know that at some point it will experience unwanted brown, yellow or blank patches. And while it isnt always preventable, its always good to know why your lawn has bald spots and how to fix them.

In this article, we take a look at the different things that can cause green grass to change in color, stop growing or die.

Hopefully, it will help you diagnose any problems may be happening with your lawn, so you can quickly fix it.

After all, nobody likes an ugly lawn especially if you spend some time taking care of it.

The Easiest Way To Fix Bald Spots In Your Lawn

Theres only one thing worse than thinking theres an extra step on the stairs and not realising there isnt until youve already fallen-slash-stumbled-slash-tripped over the air and thats seeing bald patches in your otherwise lush, healthy lawn. Thats just the worst.;

But whether these unsightly patches of bare soil have been caused by your dog peeing wherever it wants. Too much foot traffic landing on the same spots. An insect infestation or a combination of the above. The easiest way to patch these bald areas is by reseeding.;;;

Of course, no matter how many times you reseed your lawn, these bald patches will keep popping up unless you get to the root of the issue and find a way to fix it. Lets say the problem is too much foot traffic, in which case the only thing you can do is solve the traffic flow issue. That could even mean laying a few paving slabs down. If the bare spots are caused by an insect problem, however, youll need to find a solution to this issue. Or expect more bald patches will just keep showing up.;

Once youve found the culprit, though, the easiest way to turn those bare bits of your lawn back into thick, lush patches of healthy grass is through reseeding.

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How Do I Bring My Lawn Back To Life

If your entire lawn is riddled with brown patches and bald spots, it might be in need of a complete overhaul. This is done by adding new grass seed, or overseeding your lawn.

Any underlying causes of dead spots should be addressed before overseeding your lawn. Many of these steps can also be used on individual damaged spots by starting at step 4; just ignore the instruction to spread the seeds over your entire lawn.

The best time of year for this project is spring or fall when temperatures are mild and the grass seed is most likely to successfully establish itself. When youre ready, take the following steps to reinvigorate your lawn:

How To Repair Bare Patches In Your Lawn

You pride yourself in a beautiful lawn and for the most part, you have it looking great. But there a few hideous bare patches preventing your lawn from looking its best.

Bare patches can occur due to excess compaction in certain areas of your lawn. You will usually find these bare patches on worn paths in the backyard, in a path to the pool, back shed or the clothesline. The excess wear causes the ground to go hard making it difficult for the turf to grow a runner through the compacted ground. A good way of looking at it is through the analogy of pushing a screw driver into sand, vs pushing a screw driver into asphalt. The same principal applies with a turf runner trying to grow through non-compacted ground vs compacted ground.

Here are our two recommended methods for repairing bare patches:

Method 1

If your bare patches are fairly small , you can fix these patches without having to buy turf.

Whilst your grass is repairing, it is important to minimise traffic as much as possible. Depending on the time of the year and the size of the patch, the repair process will generally take a couple of months to fully complete.

Method 2

The second method, which is preferred, is to lay new turf to the affected bare area. It is also recommended to use this method on smaller areas as it is quicker, easier, and much cheaper in the long run.

For turf suppliers in your area click;here.

Check out the Lawn Solutions Australia lawn care page for more helpful tips and advice;here.

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