How To Reseed Bare Patches
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. The 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 Many Minutes Should You Water Your Lawn
It is always better to water your lawn for longer periods of time, less frequently, than it is to water your lawn frequently for short periods of time.
That means you are better off watering your lawn for an hour two or three times a week, than it would be to water your lawn for 10 minutes, seven days a week.
A good guide is to aim for 10 to 15 millimetres of water, twice a week, during periods of no rain.
You should also consider the time that you water your lawn.
Early morning, as the sun is rising, is the best time to water your lawn in the warmer months. This will keep your grass wet for an optimum amount of time, ensuring it does not evaporate straight away in the heat of the day.
Watering your grass in the evening can encourage fungus to grow if the turf is cold and dewey overnight.
Following these steps will help you restore life to those ugly, brown patches and bring a sense of pride back to your beautiful turf.
Of course, for all your lawn care products, head to our online store to browse our high-quality range of products.
If you have any lawn care questions, give our expert team a .
Related Article
How To Treat Dry Patches In Your Lawn
Hot and dry weather can really take a toll on even the healthiest lawns and cause them to become thin and patchy. This usually happens over the summer months, as the weather is hot and dry and lawn owners are generally on holidays or too busy to keep up their regular lawn maintenance schedule. It only takes a couple of days of hot, dry weather to affect your lawn.
Usually what you will see is bare patches throughout the lawn or your lawn wouldve started to thin out and change colour. What follows this, is those bare patches bake in the sun and become rock hard making it difficult for water and nutrients to get into the soil. This is commonly known as dry patch and appears regularly in lawns throughout the summer.
Dry patches in your turf are not all created by the same issue.
You May Like: What Is The Best Iron For Lawns
How To Repair A Lawn
Youve put a lot of effort into your lawn, but it doesnt look as good as it should.
Before you become disheartened, look at this checklist to see if theres something else you can do to bring it back to its full glory.
Remember that any lawn repair is best done in spring or summer depending on the climate in your area when the lawn is actively growing.
Test And Fertilize The Soil
To prepare the soil for new sod or grass seed, you need to determine the nutrient levels and adjust them to create the ideal environment for new grass. The best way to find out what your soil needs is to take a sample to your nearest Extension Office for testing. Many offices charge a small fee and return results in just a few days. Results from an Extension Office are often more useful than an at-home test because they usually include fertilizing recommendations. Once you know what your soil needs, go to your local garden store to find the right fertilizer and apply it to your lawn.
You May Like: How Much Does It Cost To Astroturf Your Lawn
Also Check: Who Makes Toro Lawn Mowers
How To Water With A Sprinkler System
When watering your lawn the goal is to get the water deep in the soil. The deeper you get the water into the soil the hardier and healthier your lawn will become. To achieve deep watering, set your timer for about three days per week and run your zones for a longer period of time. You may have to water longer per zone depending on the position of the sun, the soil type, and the sprinkler type.
Install A Dry Well To Collect The Water
A dry well consists of a perforated plastic barrel that is buried at least 4 feet underground.
The barrel is surrounded by stones that allow water to disperse from it and into the ground. A layer of landscape fabric is laid to cover the stones and prevent soil from clogging them. An overflow emitter is often left at the top of the barrel to allow excess water from the storm to escape.
A 4-inch wide PVC pipe is used to direct water from the downspout and into the barrel, leaving your lawn dry. The pipes are laid inside a 1-foot deep trench which slopes at least ¼ inch per foot towards the hole, allowing water to flow freely.
A dry well is a permanent solution to drying your lawn fast, and the size of your lawn will determine how many of these wells youll need.
You May Like: Murray Lawn Mowers Parts
Recommended Reading: Where To Have Lawn Mower Blades Sharpened
How Much Should I Water My Lawn To Avoid Dormant Grass
Watering your lawn isnt a precise science, but it is important that you dont provide far too much or far too little. Underwatering leads to dormant grass and overwatering can drown the lawn, doing more harm than good by limiting oxygen availability in the soil.
You should aim to water your lawn every other day early in the morning or at dinnertime. The morning is often cooler, which allows the water to be absorbed before it evaporates in the sun. Watering in the early evening means itll still get some sunlight but still lets your grass dry before it is completely dark.
In terms of quantity, your lawn should receive about an inch of water per week from rain or manual watering. You can test your lawns moisture by sticking a screwdriver or other tool into the soil, and if it is wet 6-8 inches down, it is properly hydrated.
You can also tell if you are watering your lawn enough by placing an empty tuna can in the area to be watered. When the tuna can has about an inch or so of water in it then you have adequately watered your lawn.
Symptoms Of Dry Patch
If you think your lawn is suffering from Dry Patch look for the following symptoms
- Irregular patches of your lawn turning a darker green before turning brown
- The soil underneath the grass is completely dry, even after heavy rainfall
- If you apply water to the dry soil it will run off or pool, but not soak in
- Water can puddle on the brown patches after heavy rainfall because the soil cant absorb it
- In some cases there will be a musty fungal smell and even white fungal mycelium in the soil
If you spot any of these symptoms, youre looking at dry patch!
Recommended Reading: How Do I Fix My Lawn
How To Tell If Your Lawn Is Actually Dead
Before you even attempt reviving a dead lawn, its essential to determine if the lawn is actually dead. For example, it may just be diseased or damaged, but alive. Alternatively, it could just be dormant.
First, try giving the grass a good soak with a hose or sprinkler. If the water beads up on the surface of the lawn, its likely that the grass is dead. Second, take a look at the roots. If theyre dry and brittle, chances are your lawn is toast. Finally, try pulling up a small section of grass. If it comes up easily without any resistance, then its time to say goodbye to your lawn.
Watering With A Sprinkler:
Another way to water your lawn is by using a sprinkler, which can create an overflow of water that helps the grass grow deeper roots that spread out horizontally into the soil. If you have clay soil, you should use this method, which means you need less watering. It may take longer to get results over dry, cracked areas, but its an excellent method to use in hot weather.
Don’t Miss: What Lawn Treatment For Spring
Determining The Cause Of A Dead Lawn
When your grass turns brown and dry, either on parts of your lawn or across the whole area, you may be itching to lay down new sod or start another plan to revive your lawn. But if you want your new lawn to last, you first have to determine the cause of death for the old lawn. If you dont fix what was wrong, you may find yourself staring at another dead lawn in the near future. There are a few common causes of dead patches or dead lawns, and it may take some detective work to find which one is responsible for your dead lawn.
How Can I Use Fighting The Mud In My Backyard Caused By My Pets
If you have pets and theyre making mud in your backyard, it can be an annoying problem to deal withthat said, it doesnt have to continue unabated! Here are a few tips on how to fight the mud in your backyard and keep your furry friends happy.
The easiest way of stopping the mud is by limiting foot traffic. Try putting down some mats or runners in areas where your pet tends to trudge through this will reduce the wetness that seeps into the ground and cause mud formation. Also consider installing walkways around or leading away from sensitive areas like gardens or lawns, so that visitors won’t experience any discomfort when passing by heavy-duty pet zones.
As for anything else that gets tracked into the yard, use a garden hose to rinse off shoes before walking inside again. This will help reduce tracking of dirt and debris brought in by your pet paws as well as potential parasites too small for us to see but nonetheless pose health risks if left unchecked .
Finally, make it easy on yourselfconsider setting up a dedicated spot such as a patch of non-grass turf with sand underneath it so that you don’t need to clean up after Fido every time he gets out of control! That way, you don’t need worrying about muddy paw prints throughout your house either )
Learn More: Why does my dog watch my other dog eat?
Read Also: How To Get Rid Of Clover In Lawn Organically
Do Adjust Watering And Mowing Based On Recommendations
One of the recommendations that your lawn care provider might make in terms of how to repair grass is to adjust your watering and mowing routine. Your grass needs around one to two inches of water each week, dependent upon air temperature and movement. If it is cool and still, the soil will retain more moisture. If your lawn isnt receiving enough water, it may need more.
On the flipside, too much water can actually drown your grassroots. Because grassroots need oxygen to live, excessive water can fill those air gaps in the soil and actually drown your plants. This will cause the lawn to yellow, brown, then die. If your lawn care professional determines you are overwatering your lawn, youll need to back off on how often youre watering.
Similarly, your mowing habits can also contribute to dead patches. Mowing, in general, puts stress on the lawn. If you are mowing too short, you may be putting more stress on your lawn then it can handle.
How To Treat Dry Spots In Your Lawn
Hot and dry weather can really take a toll on even the healthiest lawns and cause them to become thin and patchy. This usually happens over the summer months, as the weather is hot and dry and lawn owners are generally on holiday or too busy to keep up their regular lawn maintenance schedule. Regardless of the amount of rain received over the past few months, it only takes a couple of days of hot, dry weather to affect your lawn. If you keep your lawn well-manicured and cut short, it will become more susceptible to drying out quickly, so taking steps to minimise this is really important.
Usually what you will see is bare patches throughout the lawn or your lawn wouldve started to thin out and change colour. What follows this, is those bare patches bake in the sun and become rock hard making it difficult for water and nutrients to get into the soil. This is commonly known as dry patch and appears regularly in lawns throughout the summer. Thankfully it is treatable and is relatively easy to fix.
First things first, it is always recommended you aerate the affected area of your lawn. Aeration can be done with a garden fork, aerator sandals or a specialised aerator depending on the size of the lawn. This is crucial as it will de-compact your soil and will help nutrients and water penetrate your lawn.
There are steps you can take to reduce the suffering.
Always check and abide by the relevant water restrictions in your area as these vary greatly around the country.
Also Check: Where Can I Buy Folding Lawn Chairs
Aerating The Lawn To Relieve Soil Compaction
Hard, compact soil can prevent water from penetrating it. Which in turn can cause brown patches in parts of your lawn. Especially areas that are used heavily like around kids goalposts, along the washing line or areas that you walk on regularly.
Aerating your lawn via spiking will allow water to more easily penetrate the soil, as well as oxygen and other nutrients.
Hollow tine aeration removes cores of turf from the lawn. This relieves compaction by allowing the soil particles to relax and separate from each other and move into space you created by removing the cores of turf.
This separation of particles means water can work its way in the soil profile much more easily.
Read: Aerating a Lawn: Why, When and How
Will Watering Dead Grass Bring It Back
Watering alone will not bring dead grass back.
Ensuring you water your lawn evenly will become an important part of keeping your grass lush and green once you have restored the brown patches, but before we get your turf back to its best, there are four key steps you must take.
- Aeration with a garden fork or aeration sandals to de-compact the soil and allow nutrients from water and fertilizer penetrate the soil.
- Use a wetting agent to soak the lawn, which will help increase the water absorption of your turf
- Thoroughly irrigate/water the turf once you have applied the wetting agent
- Apply a high-quality grass fertilizer to your lawn. Ensure you follow the instructions on the label of your chosen product.
Read Also: When To Put Fertilizer On Lawn In Spring
Is Your Grass Suffering
How can you tell if your lawn is suffering from dry patch? The first thing youll notice is areas of dry and discoloured grass. This can occur in dry conditions, so water the area well over a week or two and see if it improves.
If the grass doesnt improve as a result of watering, and the soil is bone dry to touch, then your lawn could be suffering from dry patch. The best thing to do is to get in touch with Greensleeves. A lawn expert will come and evaluate your lawn to give a recommendation of the treatment that will be most effective for you.
How To Build Up Your Turf
Maybe the problem with your lawn isnt just a few dead patches, but instead is weak, thin grass throughout the lawn. In that case, apply a fertilizer product for thick, green grass. A single application with a spreader distributes the seed, fertilizer and soil improver that will improve your turf.
Whether you need the right planters, seeds or potting soil, The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them.
Related Products
Read Also: How Do You Get Grubs In Your Lawn
Water At The Right Time
Water your grass early in the morning, using sprinklers to ensure the entire lawn is watered evenly rather than just in one area. Evaporation rates are lowest in the morning and watering at this time allows your grass to dry before temperatures cool in the evening, which helps prevent fungal diseases.
Quick Guide To Lawn Repair
1. Patch your lawn. Repair thin or bare spots with Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair. There is one exception: If you have a St. Augustine lawn, its best to pull up dead turf or edge out bare spots. Apply Scotts® EZ Patch Lawn Repair for St. Augustine Lawns then place new sod or plugs.
2. Water well. New seed and sod require more frequent watering. Keep your soil moist, but dont drown it.
3. Feed your lawn. After 6 to 8 weeks, give your new grass the nutrients it needs to grow lush and strong. Feed your entire lawn with Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food.
4. Kill weeds and pests. Bugs and weeds will try to creep into your lawn while it grows. Before you apply any weed or bug control product, check the product label to see when it can be applied to new grass.
5. Mow later. Be sure to wait until your lawn is at mowing height before you mow.
Read Also: How To Find Lawn Mowing Service
Fertilising Will Enable The Grass To Better Control Moisture
Fertilising your lawn not only provides the nutrients grass needs in order to photosynthesise and produce food, but it also helps the plants moisture control mechanism.
Fertilise your lawn in the Spring and Autumn with a fertiliser with a high percentage of Potassium.
This will ensure the grass and its roots can hold on to moisture.
Read: The Lawn Feeds I Recommend
