2torial #0834:
Learn2 Reseed a Lawn

It's not easy being green

Brown spots got the best of your lawn? Or worse, is it entirely brown or mostly dirt? It's time to diagnose what went wrong and then reseed the area.

Reseeding is the easiest and least expensive way to revitalize your lawn. Doing so takes a while--about 3 weeks for the grass to grow--but you'll ultimately have the same result as you'd get with the more expensive and laborious methods, like installing sod, setting sprigs, or planting with grass plugs. With proper care, you'll be the envy of your neighbors, or, at the very least, you'll feel proud of your new, plush lawn.

The best conditions for reseeding occur during fall and spring. And of these two, fall is superior because warm soil aids quick germination, there's less competition from summer weeds, and seedlings have a longer time to mature before summer's heat and dryness hit. You can successfully reseed a lawn in summer, but it takes extra effort to keep the germinating grass moist.

Before even touching the ground, decide which grass to grow. Take a trip to your local nursery, where the staff should be familiar with your climate and can help you choose between cool-season and warm-season grasses, as well as steer you toward grasses with high shade or drought tolerance. Make sure you describe your lawn area clearly.

Diagnose the problem

If your lawn's problem is too many weeds, skip to Step 2 to eliminate the weeds and begin preparing the ground for new seed. If you have brown spots or an entirely brown lawn, keep reading to diagnose the problem. Once you know what went wrong, you can prevent it from happening again.

Not enough water? Underwatering or uneven watering can kill all the grass or kill it in spots. How much you need to water depends upon your climate and soil type. For a complete guide, see 2torial #0550: Water Your Lawn.

Uneven ground that collects water? If water immediately runs off your lawn or gathers in puddles, you'll need to regrade all or parts of it to prevent further drowned or brown spots. Grading can be as simple as knocking down high spots with a shovel to even them out, or it may involve buying topsoil to fill low areas. Grade these areas before you prepare the ground for reseeding.

Too much thatch? Thatch is the collection of grass cuttings and old roots at the base of the grass blades. It's also where fungus and bugs hide. If it's 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters) thick or more, it needs to be removed so that fertilizer and water can enter the soil. To remove it, use a rake, rent a dethatcher from an equipment rental company, or purchase a dethatching attachment for your lawnmower.

Insects bugging you? If insects are causing damage, you'll find them around the edges of your brown spots, munching fresh grass. One clue that this may be the culprit is if you notice more birds than usual on your lawn.

Put a sample insect in a jar and take it to your local nursery. They'll identify both the insect and the best way to get rid of it, preferably organically.

Too much fertilizer? If spread unevenly, fertilizer can burn the grass in areas where the fertilizer is concentrated. Time's the only cure for this problem, and you'll have to wait for the fertilizer to wear away.

Problems with dogs? Dog urine has a slightly alkaline content that can burn brown spots into your lawn. You may need to keep your dog off the lawn, or train it to relieve itself elsewhere. If neighbor dogs are causing the problem, ask your neighbors to curb their dogs, or put up a fence.

A fungus among us? Fungus can be difficult to diagnose, but it may be the problem if you've ruled out all other possibilities. Talk to the experts at your local nursery and see if they recommend a fungicide. If you think it will help, bring a sample for diagnosis.

Prepare the ground

Whether you're repairing brown spots or an entire lawn, your grass needs good ground to stand on. Follow these steps for preparing the best surface:

Remove weeds. Dig up the weeds or kill them with an herbicide. If you use an herbicide, make sure you follow package directions. A nontoxic approach is best for the soil, the water table, and you.

If your lawn is hopelessly overrun, it may be nececessary to kill the entire lawn and start over. If this is the case, apply the herbicide to the whole lawn. Be sure to let the herbicide dissipate before reseeding, or it will kill your new lawn as well. Check package directions to see how long the herbicide will last before it wears down.

Mow the existing grass. Cut the grass to 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 centimeters) in length. This will help the fertilizer, seed, and water reach the soil.

Remove dead grass. Whether you're replacing the entire lawn or filling in brown spots, you need to remove as much of the dead grass and fresh clippings as possible to help the fertilizer, seed, and water reach the soil. Use an iron rake to pull up the old grass. Fortunately, you don't need to remove the dead roots.

Fertilize and compost

You want the richest soil possible for germinating seeds and existing grass. To enrich your soil:

Fertilize. If you're reseeding the entire lawn, you don't need to fertilize now, because it will be gone by the time the grass germinates and can use it. To nurture existing grass, use a light fertilizer (you'll be fertilizing the lawn again in three weeks, when the new grass can also benefit from it). Spread it with a broadcast spreader, which will apply it more evenly over a broader area than a drop spreader, which simply drops the fertilizer as you walk along. (Step 4 explains how to use a spreader.)

Compost. Some experts recommend composting before reseeding. If you don't compost, you'll need to break up the soil to plant the seed (see the following section, "If you didn't compost"). Spreading compost is easy, it enriches your soil, and it's soft enough that watering alone will push the seeds down into the soil. You'll need enough to cover the lawn with a 1/2-inch (1.25-centimeter) layer. Give the square footage of your lawn to a compost dealer, which should be listed in the phone book under topsoil, and he or she will recommend the right amount. To calculate square footage, multiply length by width.

To distribute the compost, load it into a wheelbarrow and pile it around the lawn in four or five strategic spots. It's OK to spread compst over established grass. Rake the compost out from these piles until the whole lawn is lightly covered. Note: Don't cover the lawn any deeper than 1/2 inch (1.25 centimeters). Too much compost can ruin it the same way too much fertilizer can.

You can help the remaining grass break through the compost by distributing it further with a fan rake. This will also help the compost settle closer to the soil. If you have an electric leaf blower, it can help blow the compost down closer to the soil and even it out.

If you didn't compost, break up the soil. Take a spade and chop the soil 2 inches (5 centimeters) deep, leaving clods the size of golf balls or marbles. You may prefer this method if you already have good soil and you're only reseeding a few brown spots.

Plant grass seed

Planting the seed is the easiest step in reseeding a lawn. Depending on whether you're reseeding the entire lawn or just a few brown spots, refer to the following directions.

Use a spreader. Place the seed in a spreader, and set it to the proper opening, which should be indicated on the seed bag and determined by the seed's size. Once again, a broadcast spreader will spread more evenly and cover a broader area than a drop spreader. However, a drop spreader comes in handy for areas that border flower beds or other areas where you don't want grass.

You can also try to seed these areas by tossing or dropping by hand, but in general, seeding by hand spreads too thickly and unevenly, so that the grass grows in obvious patches.

Cover the area in a grid. Walk lengthwise across one end of your lawn while cranking the handle on your spreader to distribute the seed. When you reach the end, turn around and walk back lengthwise to seed an area that directly abuts the area you seeded in your first traverse. Continue in this manner until you've seeded the entire lawn lengthwise. Next, walk across the width of the lawn, at a 90-degree angle to the seeding you've just completed. Cover the entire lawn in the same way you did when you seeded it lengthwise. This ensures the grass seed is spread evenly and thoroughly.

For bare or brown spots. If the rest of your lawn is healthy or just hibernating during its off season (summer for cool-season grasses, winter for warm-season grasses), you can just reseed the bare or brown spots. Cover these using the same grid pattern as mentioned before, with either a broadcast or drop spreader.

Cover with straw and water

Germinating seeds need protection and plenty of water. To meet both of these requirements:

Cover with straw. The best way to protect germinating grass and keep it moist is to cover it with straw. The seeds only need to be lightly covered, and you should be able to see the soil and germinating plants through the layer of straw. One bale of straw should cover between 750 to 1,000 square feet (227 to 303 square meters).

When the germinating grass has grown to 3 inches (7 or 8 centimeters) tall--after about 6 or 7 weeks--you can mow the straw into the grass. It will take several mowings before the straw completely disappears.

Water. Grass seed needs to be kept moist as it germinates. To keep your reseeded lawn moist, water it frequently (up to three times a day), but for short amounts of time (only 15 minutes) with a sprinkler. Once the seeds have germinated, you can let the new lawn dry a little, but never let it stand dry for longer than a day.

When the lawn is established, you can water it according to a less-intensive schedule, appropriate to your climate. See 2torial #0550: Water Your Lawn for more specifics.

Fertilize, wait, and mow

After about 3 to 4 weeks, when the grass has grown about 1 inch (2.5 centimeters), fertilize it to encourage even greater blade growth. If you used compost, this step isn't necessary, but if you want a perfect lawn, it's desirable. Ask your local nursery to recommend a good fertilizer for young grass. Spread the fertilizer evenly with a broadcast spreader, using the same grid process you used when you laid the seed.

As mentioned before, when the grass has grown to about 3 inches (7 or 8 centimeters), it's time for the first mowing.

By following these steps and keeping up on watering, you'll create a thriving, plush, green lawn. Be sure to spend some well-deserved time relaxing on your lawn chair this summer!

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