THE BASICS:
- Repair your lawn in spring or autumn
- Reseed bare patches
- If the whole lawn is patchy, it may be advisable to totally re-seed the lawn.
Patches in lawns can appear for a number of reasons, and when they do, it is always advisable to repair your lawn.
Although it may seem sensible to just turf the area, however, the problem may reoccur. So over seeding is often the best method, which is generally the best long-term solution.
Professional groundsman use this technique to restore worn areas on sports pitches, turning them back into lush green carpet in just a few weeks.
Reseeding or turfing bare patches will prevent weeds germinating in the patches, and of course, it looks much better.
WHERE
If your lawn is thin and patchy and has brown spots, perhaps from physical damage, wear and tear, or drought damage should be repaired.
WHEN
Ideally in spring or autumn, when the weather is damp and cool, as the lawn is most likely to recover well in these conditions.
HOW… THE STARTING POINT
Thorough ground preparation is vital for a successful lawn and lawn repair project:
- Mow the lawn to a short height and rake to remove debris and thatch
- Use an aerator or garden fork to open up the soil in your lawn, relieving compaction
- Use a scarifier to remove thatch and damaged areas to prepare the ground for the seed
- Loosen the top soil down to 6-15 mm (up to ½ inch).
SOWING THE SEED:
- Sow the seed in accordance with the instructions on the packet, either by hand or drop spreader
- Lightly rake over
- Roll lightly or walk over to press the seed into the soil
WATERING
Water in thoroughly, avoiding washing away any soil or seed.
Keep well watered until the grass is established and growing strongly. Once established, lightly trim the grass and then follow through with mowing every couple of weeks, reducing the cutting height as appropriate.
REMOVING A PATCH
Cut out the damaged area of turf in a square, using a half moon edging iron to cut the square and a spade to lift it. Lightly fork over the soil in the base of the removed square. Sprinkle some crumbly top soil or compost over the base of the removed square. The seed and water as before.
Remember:
- Don’t panic if grass doesn’t appear in 2-3 days.
- Keep the area well watered until the grass is established and growing strongly.
- Water every few days if the weather is dry.
- Germination will typically take 2-3 weeks, depending on temperature and species of grass.
- Try not to use the lawn until the grass is well established.
Why we recommend Green Velvet?
Made by the experts in grass,Tapping into more than a century of experience producing professional-level grass seed, Barenbrug UK’s scientists have meticulously tested Green Velvet to solve the most extreme lawn and turf challenges, and the range has the highest percentage of high-quality grass seed of any lawn product.