How to fix your lawn

You often don’t realise how much your lawn complements your home and garden until you start seeing ugly bare patches. These can be caused by heavy foot traffic, a dry spot in the soil or even a dog going about its daily business! Whatever the cause, repairing a lawn isn’t difficult and is worth doing now, just as the growth spurt is about to happen. There are two basic solutions: planting seed, which is cheap but takes a little time; and laying turf, which will give you an instant fix. Read on to find out which option is right for you.

Repairing your lawn with seed

Seed is a cheap and easy way to fill those empty spaces in your lawn, but it takes a little time to get established. It requires careful watering after sowing and is not ideal for sloping areas because of the risk of seed run-off when it rains. It’s best to match the seed to your existing lawn so the repair blends in quickly.

You can also use a product such as Yates LawnSmart All Season Lawn Seed, which contains a hardy seed mix, to fill bare patches quickly before the weeds can take over. Make sure the area is kept clear until the seedlings have fully germinated and had time to establish.
Gather Your Supplies

• Loam soil

• Suitable grass seeds

• Lawn starter fertiliser

• Sharp-edged spade

• Rake

STEP 1
Carefully dig out your dead patch of lawn with sharp-edged spade.

STEP 2
Rake exposed soil to loosen it, then spread a bed of fine loamy soil over top.

STEP 3
Sprinkle grass seeds over soil and scatter a little lawn starter fertiliser over top.

STEP 4
Lightly rake surface to cover seed. Then use back of a spade to firm soil down.

STEP 5
Water repaired area with a gentle spray, and continue to water the patch lightly every day until seed has germinated and new grass reaches a few centimetres in height. Then cut back to your normal lawn-watering routine and enjoy the green, green grass of your home.

Repairing with turf

If you’re looking for an instant fix, turf is the way to go. Sold in rolls, it’s easy to lay yourself, but is more expensive than seed. Because it establishes so quickly, turf is very useful for sloping areas. Also, grasses such as buffalo can be hard to find in seed, so turf may be your best option.
Note: Lay the turf out as soon as possible so it doesn’t dry out.

Gather Your Supplies

• Blood and bone fertiliser

• Suitable quantity of turf to match your lawn

• Sharp knife

• Sharp-edged spade

• Rake

STEP 1

Dig out dead patch of lawn with sharp-edged spade. Make area square or rectangular to match shape of turf rolls.

STEP 2
Rake exposed soil to create a level surface, then scatter a light dressing of blood and bone over soil and water lightly. Ensure depth of excavated area matches height of turf you are going to lay.

STEP 3
Position strips of new turf in excavated area, packing them together tightly. If necessary, cut pieces of turf to fit using a sharp knife. Fill any remaining gaps with soil, then gently tread on new grass to make sure that it’s in contact with the soil below.

STEP 4
Water in well. Keep off the patch and water regularly until it becomes established.

[[block:feature|Top tip
Don’t allow any traffic on your new patch of lawn until the seeds have fully germinated and the area has had time to toughen up. Use a stringline to surround the patch, to let those around know the area is off limits. If you find birds coming for a nibble, use reflective tape or hang old CDs to scare away pecking beaks.