Repairing a dead spot
Flush pet-urine spots with water, rake out the dead grass and reseed the bare area. Keep it moist until it fills in.
- When
- When the problem shows up
- Material
- grass seed (spot repair)
- Rate
- 25–35 g/m² · about 5–7 lb per 1,000 sq ft
- For
- Any lawn
- Rule
- rx-spot-repair · Turgeon; Scotts
Flush pet-urine spots with water, rake out dead grass and reseed the bare area. Keep it moist until it fills in.
Find the cause first
Reseeding a patch fails if whatever killed it is still there. Grubs, buried rubble, fungus and repeated urine all bring the patch straight back. See investigating a brown patch.
Dog urine spots
Urine is concentrated nitrogen and salts. Flush the spot with plenty of water as soon as possible, both now and before reseeding, to dilute what is left in the soil.
How to repair
- Rake out the dead grass and loosen the top 2–3 cm (1 in) of soil.
- Level it with a little fresh topsoil or compost if it has sunk.
- Sow seed matching the lawn at 25–35 g/m², about 5–7 lb per 1,000 sq ft; a pinch for a small spot.
- Rake lightly so the seed is just covered, and firm it with your foot.
- Keep it constantly moist until the new grass is up, two to three weeks.
For a quick fix in summer, cut a piece of turf from an unseen corner and fit it into the patch. Mow the new grass once it reaches about 8 cm.
Sources
- A.J. Turgeon — Turfgrass Managementturgeon
- Scotts — Lawnsscotts