How to Repair a Lawn

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By Ethel Powers
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Healthy lawns have healthy roots

Even the most cared for lawns sometimes need repair. The methods in this article are from personal and successful experience.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Lawn Seed
Seed Cover
Visit suggested resources for tips

Step 1

Mow (shave) lawn/image Andrea Kratzenberg

Shaving your lawn down to the roots is the best way to get rid of problems. If you have a lawn mower that is powerful enough, it will take only a couple of passes over it with the blade set to the lowest point. However, electric mowers have less power and will need to have the blades lowered continually until you can cut the grass easily.
Step 2

Pronged garden tools loosen roots/ image Neail Gould

After the lawn is shaved, loosen the dirt around the roots with a pronged garden tool such as a pitchfork. Next, loosen the roots with the same tool. Spray the lawn with Jerry Baker’s fabulous, organic formulas (see link in resource section). Re-seed the area with high quality lawn seed and then apply seed cover. Water well and keep area moist until the lawn seed sprouts.
Step 3

Milky Spore Powder for Japanese Beetle grubs.

Brown spots in a lawn might mean there is a grub problem. Pull up a dead spot. If you find a fat, white worm curled up underneath, that is a Japanese beetle. They have eaten the roots and caused the brown patch. Milky Spore is a product specifically used to rid lawns of this problem. The grub eats it and dies which causes the Milky Spore to spread throughout the area. Once it has spread, your lawn is protected for 15 years. Applying it is easy if you purchase the tube applicator.
Step 4

Cat Away

Pets and stray animals also cause brown spots. Their urine and feces are so acidic it will kill grass and plants. Use an organic and humane product like CatAway that is safe for both people and animals.
Step 5

Beer adds nutrients to lawn/image Inacio Pires

Treatment of brown areas in the lawn is a very easy. Simply pull up any dead grass and their roots. Apply a high quality grass seed, a little fertilizer and seed cover. Water well. Apply the formula in step 2.
Step 6

Water well/image Gail Rau

If your area is prone to drought, cut down on fertilizer and water your lawn deeply at least once per week. Deeper, longer watering will keep the roots moist. Shallow watering only wastes water and your lawn will die because the roots become dry. Using a pronged tool, put holes in your lawn so that the water can penetrate.
Step 7

Thatch is another reason lawns die. Thatch is a layer of roots and grass that has died and it prevents water from reaching underneath. Using too much fertilizer, not enough water, and using dull blades on your lawnmower cause it. Purchase a dethatch rake or rent a power dethatcher from a garden center. Once the thatch is removed, use tools to aerate the area and water well.