Even the most well tended lawn can develop bare patches. Leaving footballs on the grass, spillages, moles, large weeds, dog damage and even winter leaves can cause areas of your lawn to die off. But what is the best way to a lawn patch repair and fix up these areas?
Here is my pictorial guide to repairing a lawn patch.
A bare patch in a lawn which needs to be repaired. 
Use a tool which can turn the top layer of the soil into a fine tilthe. An edging iron is good for this as it is light and can dig into and chop up the soil effectively. 
Churn up the soil in the area to be patched. You can go down quite deeply, as it is a good idea to loosen the soil several centimetres under the surface. 
Creating grooves and holes in the patch area will help the seed to germinate and set a root more effectively. 
Sprinkle on a generous amount of suitable grass seed. 
Cover the seed with topsoil or a soil-based compost. 
It is better to cover the seed rather than have it sitting on the surface. Buried seed will have a better chance of not being eaten by insects or birds and will be nicely protected from cold and wind. 
Level the area to the surrounding lawn using a rake. 
Water in the seed. This will consolidate the soil around the grass seed and the water will start the germination process. 
The final patch repair. This will blend in over the next few weeks.
When to repair your lawn?
You can repair grass most times during the year. You will get a better result when the weather is moist and warm (Spring and autumn). If you make sure the soil is above 8 degrees celcius and keep the patch watered you should get a good result.
Lawn patch repair steps
- Try to identify the reason for the patch and remedy that. It could be something under the soil surface, dogs, or an obvious problem like a spill.
- Using a suitable cultivator tool, dig up the area and break up the soil surface. I like to use a half-moon edging tool. A spade, trowel or cultivator can also do a good job to prepare the soil for a lawn patch repair.
- Sprinkle on some suitable fresh grass seed. New grass seed will have a better chance of germinating. As long as seed is kept cool and dry and in a breathable container it can last for a long time.
- Cover the seed with some topsoil or soil-based compost. This part is important as will help the grass to germinate and keep it protected. If seed is left on the surface it can be eaten by birds or mice or be desiccated by the wind or sun.
- Rake the repair flat. Try to level off the lawn patch repair and blend it in with the surrounding surface soil.
- Water the seed in. Watering the patch is important as it grows. Keeping it moist will consolidate the soil around the seed. Soil contact is important for the seed to help it establish a root quickly.
- Keep it moist. Over the next few weeks, keep the area moist and protected from foot traffic and mowing. The new grass will blend in with your surrounding lawn quickly.
If you have problems repairing your lawn get in touch. If you live in the Exeter area of Devon, book a lawn survey and I will be able to look at repairing your lawn for you.
Kris Lord
Useful.