There are a few things you can do to help your patchy lawn recover much more quickly and easily.
Lawn damage or bare patches can be patched with turf from another area of the lawn, new turf, or both, if available, or they can be filled in with grass seed.
The following information will show you how to fill in bald spots in your lawn with sod or repair them with seed.
What You Need for Lawn Repair
You’ll need a few tools to fix larger areas of your lawn. You only need grass seed, topsoil, and a trowel if you’re working on a small patch.
- Lawn mower
- Rake
- Grass seed
- Seed spreader
- Lawn roller (optional)
- Topsoil or compost (optional)
- Water
Quick Guide to Lawn Repair
1. Patch your lawn. With Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair, thin or bare areas can be repaired. There is one exception: If you possess a St. It is best to remove any dead turf or bare patches from your St. Augustine lawn. Use Scotts® EZ Patch™ Lawn Repair for St. New sod or plugs are then laid down by Augustine Lawns.
2.Water well. More frequent watering is needed for new seed and sod. Do not completely drown your soil; just keep it moist.
3. Feed your lawn. Give the nutrients your new grass needs to grow lush and robust after 6 to 8 weeks. Use Scotts’ Turf Builder lawn food to nourish the entire lawn.
4. Kill weeds and pests. As your lawn grows, insects and weeds will attempt to scurry inside. Check the product label to find out if you can use any weed or bug control product on new grass before using it.
5. Mow later. Prior to mowing, make sure your lawn is at mowing height (3 to 4 inches).
How to Repair and Seed Your Lawn
1. Fill in Bare Spots
The majority of us are aware that it is useless to merely wait for bare spots to fill in on their own. Did you know that nothing else will work, not even watering those bare spots? A quality grass seed like Scotts® EZ Seed® Patch & Repair is also necessary.
Guaranteed to grow grass anywhere (with proper care), EZ Seed® is a special blend of Scotts® high-performance seed, premium continuous-release lawn food, and super-absorbent growing medium that helps prevent the seed from drying out. Simply rake the ground to clear away debris and loosen the soil, then spread EZ Seed® and water it in.
One thing stands out. Instead of seeding your bare spots on a St. Augustine lawn, you should sod or plug them. Start by getting a few pieces of sod or enough plugs from your neighborhood garden center to fill in your bare spots. In order to prepare the area, apply Scotts® EZ Patch™ Lawn Repair for St. Specifically formulated mulch and fertilizer for establishing St. Augustine lawns, Augustine Lawns, is available ready-to-use. Augustine grass: You can either plant plugs in a checkerboard pattern, spaced 12 inches apart, or lay sod pieces directly on top of the prepared soil and gently tamp them down with your foot. After planting, make sure to thoroughly water.
2. Water Well
For at least two weeks, lightly water the newly seeded, sodded, or plugged areas every day (or as needed, depending on the weather) to keep the top inch of soil consistently moist but not drenched. Gradually increase the amount of watering the lawn once the grass seedlings have grown and begun to fill in so that the top two inches of soil are kept moist. It’s best to water deeply once or twice a week after the grass reaches mowing height to promote deep root growth. Instead of just watering the lawn briefly, give it a good, thorough soak. This will help the roots grow strong and deep for a thicker, more drought-resistant lawn.
3. Follow With Food
Nutrients are necessary for both existing grass and tender seedlings to grow thick and strong. Feed Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Food evenly over your entire lawn after 6 to 8 weeks. Then, throughout the growing season, continue to feed your lawn regularly every 6 to 8 weeks. As a result, there will be an ongoing supply of nutrients to promote the kind of grass growth that will smother weeds and withstand the effects of heat, drought, and everyday wear and tear.
A spreader is the most practical tool for feeding your lawn. You can avoid worrying about applying too much or too little fertilizer by using it to distribute it evenly. Every Scotts® Fertilizer product comes with the suggested spreader settings on the back, making feeding your lawn even simpler.
You don’t yet possess a spreader. Here’s how to pick the ideal spreader for successful lawn feeding.
- Small lawns: 1,500 ft2 or less
- Medium lawns: 5,000 ft2 or less
- Large lawns: 15,000 ft2 or less
- Extra-large lawns: 20,000 ft2 or less
The first step in any DIY lawn care routine is determining the size of your lawn. Because of this, we made it incredibly simple by including a measuring tool in the Scotts® MyLawn App. Simply tap the points on the aerial view of your home to instantly get the square footage; no walking or math is needed.
4. Kill Weeds and Pests
Keep weeds and insects away from your new lawn to prevent damage. The majority of weed-controlling products, such as Scotts® Turf Builder® Weed & Feed5, cannot be used on newly planted grass until it has been mowed three or four times. (Find out more about eliminating lawn weeds here.) On newly planted grass, the majority of insect control products can be used whenever. As it feeds the lawn while also killing the listed insects, Scotts® Turf Builder® SummerGuard® Lawn Food with Insect Control is a good choice. Before using any kind of product on your lawn, keep in mind to read and adhere to the label instructions.
5. Watch for Grubs
Grubs are easier to manage in the spring, before they hatch, or in the first few weeks of summer, when they are still small and haven’t done much harm to your lawn. In the spring or early summer, preventative grub control products like Scotts® GrubEx®1 Season Long Grub Killer are meant to be applied to your lawn just before or right as the grubs hatch. Scotts’ GrubEx®1 Season Long Grub Killer can kill and prevent grubs for up to 4 months with just one application.
6. Wait before Mowing
Wait until they have reached mowing height (typically 3.5 to 4 inches) before cutting new grass seedlings and sod for the first time. Go ahead and resume your regular lawn-mowing routine after that. Just keep in mind that cutting your grass a little higher will help it crowd out weeds.
Conclusion
To get the grass growing again, you had to put in some extra effort, which probably required some additional mowing. This step is crucial to maintaining the recovery path for your lawn. The profile of your lawn will become even thicker with regular mowing because lateral growth is encouraged. A thicker lawn will also be much better at limiting weed growth and will be more resistant to disease-related problems. Additionally, you should refrain from removing more than one-third of the leaf blade in a single pass if you regularly mow at your normal mowing height.
FAQs
How Do You Fill Gaps in Grass?
Mix planting soil with sand and/or compost to fill in ruts and holes in the lawn. Usually, mixing equal amounts of each material creates a mixture that enables grass to root efficiently through the mixture into existing soil. For advice on the best soil for your region, speak to your neighborhood garden center or extension agent.
Why is My Lawn Patchy and Uneven?
Due to settling, drainage problems, and other natural and artificial factors, some lawn areas may become uneven over time. The issue can be resolved in the least severe cases by topdressing with a thin layer of leveling mix (soil, compost, and sand)
Why is My Grass Getting Patchy?
Patchy grass is usually caused by a myriad of problems from diseases, such as Red Thread and Snow Mould, pest damage, like Leatherjackets and Chafer Bug Grubs.