When Should I Fix My Patchy Lawn
The most common query about bald lawns in the town is when to fix it. For the best result, early in the fall is the perfect time to set your patchy lawn. Your lawn will recover by spring to give you an eye-soothing beauty. However, before jumping to fixing patchy lawn, consider the following aspects:
- Soil condition
- Wait or not
- Type of grass
The type of grass matters a lot for timing. If you are considering grass of warm season, late spring or early in the summer may be best fit. Grasses for the cold season may grow well in the latter part of summer or at the beginning of fall.
What Causes Bare Spots In Lawns
Bare spots in lawn areas can be caused by a number of things, and knowing how to fix patchy grass starts with identifying your lawn issues. Take the time to investigate, and try to get to the bottom of your bare spot mystery before taking the steps necessary to correct the problem. Otherwise, you may continue to repair bare spots without addressing the actual cause.
Bare spots are often the result of:
- Excessive foot traffic
- Chinch bugs and other insects
- Fungal disease
Dont worry if you cant narrow down the exact cause of the bare spots right away. Just paying attention to the location and size before you begin to repair spots can make a huge difference. If the spot returns, then continue to investigate the cause.
How To Reseed Or Overseed A Lawn In 6 Easy Steps
Your lawn may look healthier at certain times of year than others. Some grass goes dormant during the winter or summer, and some lawns may battle insects, fungus, or high usage, which thins them or creates barren areas. To deal with these situations, some homeowners may consider overseeding or reseeding their lawn. Learning how to overseed a lawn or reseed a lawn isnt difficult, but it does require some planning and research. Heres a simple step-by-step guide to help you.
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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.
Tips For Reseeding Your Lawn
Bare lawn? Youll have a lush lawn in no-time with our 5 tips for reseeding.
Whether youve got a small bare patch or half a lawn to reseed, its best to do it in the late summer or fall, when cool temperatures will give the grass a good start.
1. Rake off any dead grass and debris.
Loosen the soil in the bare patch to a depth of 1 inch . If the grass was killed by dog urine or a chemical spill, douse the area thoroughly with water several times to dilute the harmful chemicals.
2. Level your compost.
Spread 2 to 3 inches of compost over the area, then smooth it with the back of a rake so the compost is level with the surrounding soil.
3. Mix the seed with an equal amount of damp sand a day before you sow it.
The moisture will jump-start the process of germination. Scatter the seeds evenly with the sand that way, theyll stay in place on the ground, even on a windy day.
4. Cover but dont wash away.
Cover the seeds with a thin layer of compost, then water the area gently, being careful not to wash the seeds away.
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5. Keep the area moist.
Use a fine spray of water two or three times a day until the seeds germinate, then water regularly along with the rest of your lawn.
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Plant The Right Kind Of Seed Or Sod
Grass is a plant like any other. So, if you dont plant the right kind of grass in the right place, youre doomed to failure, Waltz cautions. Determine what kind of grass you have , then purchase that kind of seed or sod. You want to plant the same species so that your lawn has a more uniform and consistent appearance in terms of texture and color.
You also need to consider site conditions. An older lawn with mature trees may be shaded more than it was in its early days, so read labels to make sure the seed you purchase is suited to your lawn’s surroundings, whether it be sun or shade. You can buy seed at garden centers, but landscape supply companies often have a better selection. If you have a big bag, store unused seed in a cool, dark place, and it will last for years.
One caveat: be cautious about trying products that allow you to spray on grass seed using your garden hose . These products may be okay for quick fixes, but most of the seed is inexpensive grass that germinates in a hurry and isnt meant to be permanent. Its really just a temporary solution.
Oozing Orange Sap On Birch Tree
In spring, it is a common phenomenon to observe bright orange slimy sap residues on the tree trunks of bleeding trees like birch, ironwood, maples, elms and walnut. In bleeding trees, any unsealed wounds on the tree trunk cause the spring sap to naturally ooze out externally. It is observed that the yellow-bellied sapsuckers are associated for causing spring wounds by drilling horizontal and vertical holes.
The oozing sap is rich in sugar and serves as a growth media for bacteria, fungi and yeast that turns the colorless sap to bright orange in color which catches our attention. Once the wound on the tree trunk is sealed by the trees natural compartmentalization process, the sap will stop flowing and the oozing materials will start to dry out.
Though the orange sap residue may give an unaesthetic appearance, it doesnt affect the trees health.
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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.
Prep The Soil For Reseeding
Once the old grass and weeds are gone and its safe to lay down new seed , its time to prep the soil.
Remove any large debris, then use a garden rake to level the ground and break up any large clumps of dirt. If the area is covered with mulch or compost, lightly work it into the top couple of inches of soil.
If your soil is compacted, you may also want to aerate it at this point. After aerating, rake the area level and loosen the top ¼ inch of soil. As a final step, spread a 1-inch layer of Scotts® Turf Builder® LawnSoil evenly across the entire lawn. Its specifically formulated with a blend of rich, composted materials to provide an excellent growing environment for young seedlings, and also makes it easier for them to sink their roots in.
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Quick Guide To Lawn Repair
1. Patch your lawn. Repair thin or bare spots with Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair or Scotts® Sprouts. Both are great solutions, but take two different approaches . 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.
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.
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How To Fix Brown Patches In Your Lawn
Your lush green grass has been overtaken by dead brown patches and you need to know how to fix dead grass. These unsightly patches of dead spots in your lawn threaten to ruin the beautiful outdoor aesthetic of all your hot summer barbecues and events and spread disease to your grass.
Brown patches are caused by factors including, but not limited to foot traffic, lack of fertilization, fungus, grub infestation, animal urine, chemical spills, and/or drought. Dead grass patches are also more likely to occur in older lawns than younger ones.
Before you start repairing the brown patches on your lawn, study the growth patterns of these areas to see what might be contributing to the dead grass conditions. Understanding the underlying factors will help you avoid recurring brown patches in your yard.
While repairing brown patches is not particularly difficult, you should be aware of best practices and recommendations for the optimal grass regrowth. We are going to equip you with the tools and knowledge for how to fix a brown patch in your lawn through two main methods: reseeding bare spots and patching with sod.
So If The Grass Is Greener On The Other Side Should I Be Taking More Care Of My Own Grass
The most simple and efficient way to repair damaged or worn patches in your lawn is to use grass seed. The first thing you need to do is to measure the size of the areas which need repair and choose grass seed from a reputable supplier such as www.thelawnstore.co.uk. The Lawn Store have a wide range of seeds to chose from including agricultural, landscape, golf course, pro commercial, sports pitch seed and popular wildflower seed.
For smaller areas there is plenty of choice from the Turfline range including, Multi-purpose Lawn Seed or even Eco Lawn Seed which contains micro-clover. Additionally, there are some excellent choices from the Johnsons range including Tuff Lawn Seed and Luxury Lawn Seed. The Turfline seed packages cover 50 square metres per pack and are ideal for lawn repairs. For large seeding projects we recommend using the DLF Pro Master range which is available in 20kg bags which cover 600 square metres when sowing at a rate of 30 grams per metre.
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Why Is My Lawn Thin Or Patchy
Many factors contribute to the failure of grass seed to grow as expected.
- Patches of your lawn may not be getting adequate sunlight. Shade from trees, structures, and other objects can cause thin grass growth, straggly grass, and bare patches.
- Hard or compacted soil can make it difficult for grass seed to grow because the roots are unable to access the air and soil nutrients they need to grow.
- Lawn diseases and insects like soil surface-feeding chinch bugs and sub-soil feeding white grubs can cause thin, patchy grass.
How Do You Fix Patchy Grass
Once you find out what is causing the patchy grass, you can see here how to reseed lawn if you need new grass in patches.
One of the first things you need to be sure of before overseeding lawns is that the soil temperature is around 52 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides this, you need good seed-to-soil contact so that the seed can germinate quickly.
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To Successfully Repair Your Lawn Using Seed Follow Lawntechs Step
Step 1: Prepare
Identify if there are any weeds or weed grasses in the area which needs repair, and if so dig them out or spray off with a weed killer such as round-up at least two weeks in advance.
Step 2: Cut
Cut around the perimeter edge of the patch with a spade or half-moon edging tool to create a defined edge to work to.
Step 3: Dig
Lightly dig through the soil to create a workable tilth. Remember it is essential that grass seed has full soil contact to germinate successfully. If ground is compacted make lots of deep holes with a fork.
Step 4: Rake
Rake the soil down to create a fine, smooth, even seedbed tilth. If the soil quality is poor you can add an extra fine layer of soil or sand and loam top-dressing.
Step 5: Fertilise
Apply low nitrogen pre-seed/turf fertiliser such as Lawnstore autumn hi k fertiliser @35 grass per square meter.
Step 6: Sow
Sprinkle on lawn seed @ 35 grams per square meter, such as Lawnstore Turfline multi-purpose lawn seed. Lightly rake in the seed and firm with the back of the rake.
Step 7: Water
The most important part is to keep the area damp for at least the next 3 weeks. Do not let it become dry even for a short period of time. Sometimes this means lightly watering 2 or 3 times per day. When seeding some people like to cover the area lightly with hessian to assist early germination or some wire netting to prevent birds from feeding on the seed.
Step 8: Mow
How To Reseed A Patchy Lawn
You may be looking at your lawn to deliver a lush green blanket in your garden, yet you begin to see some spots that appear to be thinning, and the grass just isnt pushing up as you expect.
It can take lots of hard work for the ultimate lawn care, and you can face issues when a mix of watering, fertilizing, and mowing doesnt do anything to help.
Once your lawn shows signs of thinning or bare spots are emerging, then it is apparent that you need to reseed your lawn in those areas.
In this guide, you can learn how reseeding lawn bare spots can help you get back your precious green lawn rather than looking at patches of dead grass.
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How To Repair Bald Spots In Your Lawn
Learn how to fix bald spots in your lawn by repairing with seed or patching with sod.
Does your lawn have bald spots that need repair? We can help you with some easy steps for patching or seeding those problem areas and getting the lush lawn you’re after.
Shutterstock/Dean Clarke
Before turf can be treated, you need to determine the cause of the problem. If you eliminate fungi, bugs, grubs or other pests as causes, you may just need some seeds.
Once the ground temperature warms to about 52 degrees Fahrenheit, seeds will grow. Good seed-to-soil contact will get the seeds germinating fast.
