A few bare patches can make a whole lawn look tired. Fixing them is cheap and simple, but seed tossed on a bare spot without any prep usually washes away or feeds the birds. Here’s how to do it right.

Find the Cause First

If you don’t fix why the spot died, it comes back. Common culprits: dog urine, heavy foot traffic, too much shade, hard-packed soil, a fertilizer or gas spill, and grubs. If the dead turf peels up like loose carpet, look underneath for white, C-shaped grubs.

Pick the Right Time

Cool-season grasses (Kentucky bluegrass, fescue, ryegrass) do best seeded in late summer to early fall, with spring second. Warm-season grasses (Bermuda, zoysia, centipede) do best in late spring to early summer. St. Augustine is usually patched with sod or plugs, not seed.

Match Your Seed

Use the same type of grass you already have. If you’re not sure, take a sample to a garden center.

The Steps

1. Clear it. Rake out the dead grass and debris.

2. Loosen it. Break up the top inch or two of soil.

3. Top it. Add a thin layer of compost or topsoil, level with the lawn around it.

4. Seed it. Spread seed at the rate on the bag. More isn’t better; crowded seedlings compete.

5. Press it. Rake lightly, then press the seed down so it touches the soil.

6. Water it. Water lightly once or twice a day, more in heat, to keep it moist but not soggy until the grass is up.

Hands Off

Keep feet and dogs off the patch. Mow for the first time once the new grass reaches your normal mowing height.

Bare spots are one piece of the job. My guide walks you through repairing a patchy lawn, step by step.

Get the full guide: How to Repair a Patchy Lawn by Hank Palmer, on Amazon