Repair Bare Spots in Your Lawn

Causes of Bare Spots in the Lawn

Bare spots on your lawn are caused by heavy foot traffic (causing soil compaction), drought, disease, chemical burn and weed or insect infestation.

First, determine the cause of your problem. If insects or disease are the cause, determine the specific cause.   Most treatments will need to be applied and allowed to work before you can grow new grass. The treatment product instructions will tell you how long to wait before sowing grass.

If heavy foot traffic is the cause, look for a way to keep traffic off of that area. This may include installing stepping stones, a gravel pathway or a barrier that would reroute traffic and protect that area of your lawn.

Grass Planting Options and Methods

In most areas, the best solution is to replant the bare spot with new grass.  There are several options:

• Sod is available in sheets.  Since it is alive, keep it moist until you are able to install it.  Make sure the sod makes good contact with the prepared soil bed.
• Grass seed and fertilizer applied separately. Spread straw as a mulch after planting the grass seed to help keep it moist and safe from birds.
• Lawn patch products, which are premixed grass seed, fertilizer and mulch blends available all in one bag. 
• Seed germination blanket made from wood fiber to keep seeds and soil in place for erosion control.

Late spring is the best time to plant and repair worn spots in warm season grasses.  Early fall is the best time to repair bare spots in cool season grasses.

Repairing Bare Spots

1. Dig up the area to a 6" depth, breaking up the clumps. (If the problem was caused by a spilled chemical such as gasoline or a herbicide, remove several inches of surface soil.)
2. Mix in topsoil to improve soil quality and help new sod or grass seed get off to a good start.
3. Rake and tamp to firm and level the surface to the surrounding lawn. 
4. Apply the lawn product (whichever method you chose from the list above).
5. Water the area well.

Once you have made the repairs, follow these steps. While you may not be able to prevent bare spots completely, you can keep your lawn as healthy and green as possible.

• Using a fine spray from a hose, keep the soil moist, but not drenched. Preventing the soil from drying out allows the roots from the grass seed to enter the soil.
• Once the grass is established and growing well, fertilize it with a general lawn fertilizer and begin mowing the patch with the rest of the lawn.
• Monitor the area closely during the first year.