Restore Grass

Posts

• hogweed Posts: 4,053

  June 2018

  You need to rake out by hand all that brown thatch and then reseed it. 

  'Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement' - Helen Keller

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• LMHmedchem Posts: 15

  June 2018 edited June 2018

  When you have significant bare spots, the best thing to do is to overseed, though it may be getting a bit late for that depending on where you live. I always top dress before I overseed and I might also aerate if it hasn't been done in a while. In my experience, I lawn is hard to maintain if you don't top dress every several years. You could also have grubs, so you would want to check that first before doing anything major. Use a garden rake on the bare spots. If you have grubs, the dead grass will peel right up off of the soil because the grubs have eaten the roots. If that is the case, you will need to apply a liquid grub control product now and then apply a granular product next spring.
  
  If you overseed now, I would get a quality top dressing from landscape company. This is usually a mixture of compost and manure and sometimes also has peatmoss or loam mixed in as well. It is also well screened (1/2" or 3/8") and so has no junk material in it at all. Calculate how many yards you need by figuring the area of the lawn at a depth of 3/4" if you have not done this recently. You can use an online calculator to get the number of yards.
  
  Start by cutting the grass. Then, Dump a load of top dressing along the back edge. I usually work in 4' strips starting along the back edge. Use the back of a garden rake, or a landscape rake, to pull the dirt along the strip and let is settle in around the existing grass. Then use a plastic leaf rake to work the top dressing in and bring the existing grass to the surface. You will get the hang of it quickly. Work the entire strip until the top dressing is evenly distributed and as much of the original grass is showing again as is practical. Low spots will end up with more dirt and this may cover some existing grass but don't worry about that.
  
  After the top dressing is applied to a strip, sprinkle a little starter fertilizer on the fresh dirt. Then, seed all the dirt you can see. I use a chopping motion with a rake to tap the seed into the soil. Then I seed again and do the chopping from a different angle. This takes more seed, but I would rather use more seed than I need than do the work again if it's too thin. Instead of the rake, some landscapers use a lawn roller with a little water in it and roll over the area to press the seed into the soil without compacting it too much. I have not tried this.
  
  After the seed is down, I cast peat moss (like I am throwing dice) over the exposed soil until I can't see the seed anymore. This is a good mulch that will keep the seed damp and protect it from birds.
  
  When you are done, move on to the next strip and repeat until the area is done. Water three times a day for two weeks. When watering, you just need to water the area until the mulch is wet and shiny on top. I usually do this twice and it just takes a few minutes. You need to keep the seed damp for 72 hours before it will be able to sprout. After the two weeks, I water twice a day for 2 more weeks and then you can cut it.
  
  If you haven't had your soil tested, now is a good time. It usually costs about $20 and the test will let you know how you are doing with the nutrients and soil conditions. Most folks need more lime than they use but it's hard to say. There is no point guessing about what to add when you can test and find out.
  
  Keep in mind that the grass can die off if it gets too hot before the plants can establish sufficient roots, so you may want to wait until the fall.
  
  LMHmedchem
  

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• Blue Onion Posts: 2,995

  June 2018

  Great advice, @LMHmedchem.

  Utah, USA.

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• afarr Posts: 4

  June 2018

  @LMHmedchem thanks for your kind advice. I live in Scotland and it’s the start of summer but we don’t get that many really hot spells. I checked the brown patches and there is still roots so I don’t think it’s Grubs although I appreciate you giving me an insight into grubs. I have not top dressed the lawn since the house was built 5 years ago - I always thought top dressing you brushed sand into the aeration holes!! 
  
  So so if I aerate with a fork, rake out a hand tiller the patches then seed them the grass should be restored??? Is this correct? 
  
  If if I actually wanted to start the lawn again would I -
  
  Turn over the current grass
  Tiller the sods to a depth of a few inches
  Cover with a small layer of fresh sold
  Roller the soil
  spread new seed
  spread with compost
  
  thanks again
  
  

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