Advice on repairing a dead spot on lawn.?

Question

Here is the problem; I have a dead spot in front of my porch where it seems was a high traffice area. Please advise me on the best way to repair this area. I'd like to grow grass in this area. Please share your knowledge.

Answer 1

how big is the dead patch? the best long term solution would be to remove whats left of the dead patch then work up the soil to a depth of at least 4 inches (6-8 would be better) the soil is probably so compacted from the high traffic that it would be pointless to just put seed over top of it the way it is. remove the soil that is hard and lumpy, add in some compost or turf builder then level the soil with a roller. seed the soil then roll it again. water with a fine spray or mist til its saturated. dont let it dry out for at least a week (you could cover it with burlap). theres also a product that resembles insulation that you just cut to fit your area then lay it like carpet--its pre-seeded and holds the seeds and moisture in place til they germinate. if this is going to continue to be a high traffic area, maybe you should consider putting down cement slabs instead of lawn.

Answer 2

I had a similar problem in my yard around a sandbox. I tore all of the dead grass out by the roots using a rake and by hand. After that I dug down about an inch and loosened up all of the dirt in the area and sprinkled some rye grass seed over the dirt that I bought from Home Depot. Then I sprinkled some grass fertilizer in along with the seed. Watered the area a couple times a day at 20 minutes per watering and within a few weeks the entire spot filled in nicely. I'm sure some braniac will post a 4 page long definition of how digging a hole to china or ripping up your whole lawn and using every available lawn item on sale at the store is your best bet, but what I did worked just fine and it is a huge traffic area.

Answer 3

Take a steel rake and loosen up the dirt. Sprinkle on the grass seed 2-3 times more than the bag or box of seed says to. Water it well and don't cut it for quite a while.

If you have lots of bare spots, you can overseed a lawn. Rent a seeder from a rental store. It actually jams the seeds a short ways into the ground with short metal spikes.