How to Regrow Dead Grass
Dead grass can occur in your lawn for a number of reasons. Disease, dog urine, over-fertilization and natural death after the winter months can all cause areas of dead grass, typically seen as brown spots in the turf. Depending on your soil, region and grass type, most spots less than 2 square feet will re-grow after you remove the old turf and prepare the soil. This allows the healthy parts of the lawn to naturally spread into the dead areas, creating new turf. Larger areas will need plugs or sod to fill in the dead spots. Does this Spark an idea?
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Instructions
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Small Areas of Dead Grass
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1
Rake away excess amounts of the dead grass and thatch. This helps to break up the soil and gives the healthy grass room to fill in the bare area.
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2
Apply slow-release fertilizer to the area. The specific type of fertilizer you need depends on your soil and grass type.
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3
Water in the fertilizer if there is no rain. Most lawns need about 1 inch of water per week. Adjust the sprinklers so the water reaches the dead areas. The rate of grass growth will depend upon the size of the bare patch, weather and the type of grass planted.
Large Areas of Dead Grass
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4
Rake away excess amounts of the dead grass and thatch. This helps to break up the soil and gives the healthy grass room to fill in the bare area.
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5
Apply slow-release fertilizer to the area. The specific type of fertilizer you need depends on your grass type.
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6
Lay sod pieces on the soil. You can join the pieces together to make a smoother look, or use smaller pieces called plugs, which leave some soil in between the pieces. Place the 2- to 4-inch plugs about 6 to 12 inches apart. Roll over the new sod, or walk on the pieces to firmly set them in the soil.
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Water the new sod into the lawn, and water for about 1 inch of water per week. Sod plugs generally fill in between three to nine months, depending upon the weather and the size and space between the plugs.
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Tips & Warnings
To prevent dead spots in your lawn, take better care of your grass during the normal season. This may mean paying better attention to the watering, fertilizing and mowing needs of your lawn or retraining your dog. If disease or weeds are a major problem, enlist a lawn-care company to help you with maintenance.
Although you can rake the area and lay seed, this method takes longer than using sod or plugs.
Don't allow the new grass to grow too high; the height could damage or stress the grass' roots. Normal height of a lawn is about 2 inches.
References
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