Bare areas on lawn, need grass seeding I think.?

Question

We have a few bare spots in our lawn due to equipment being operated and tore up the lawn somewhat. In another area, we have a red maple under which grass won't grow. Are there any tips for growing grass in these areas? The areas are not very big and too small for sodding I think.

Answer 1

Growing grass under heavy shade trees is taxing. You can improve the light coming in by removing lower branches and having the crown professionally thinned by a certified arborist. I wouldn't hire anyone else as "Joe Pickup Truck" could destroy a great tree. Other option is shade loving plants under the maple such as hostas. Or you can put down a nice mulch and forget about plants.

As for the bare lawn, if you want to seed those areas that are torn up reseed with perennial ryegrasses because they germinate quickly and look like bluegrass or a thinleaf fescue. As for sodding, you can buy a single roll and repair quickly...remember to keep the patches moist until the roots move into the new area. Personally, I'd probably let the bluegrass (I'm assuming that's what you have) fill in the bare areas if they are truly not too large. Seeding, even small areas requires keeping the area moist and I'm not good at that at all.

Answer 2

If you have time, money & water to spare you can probably grow some type of grass any time. It is best to consider the natural environment of your area & plant accordingly. Despite living in a desert in the midst of a drought, the town I bought in continues to deny the obvious & force residents to have yards that appear to be golf courses. During the last rainy season we had, they forced me to again grow such a seed or sod lawn under a hugh Chinese elm, within 3 weeks in Feb. no less. Of course it died out again in time. The water we waste on lawns is somewhere between 60-90 % of our total water use & bill. I have now grown a drought tolerant tall grass under that tree with other lower water use & native plants in the yard which Glendale deems unacceptable as well. The rest of the state (& even GWP) are stressing the need to save water so I will eventually be fined again either way I go so I will probably do what is best for nature & hire an attorney to handle the government abuse. Hopefully your area is more realistic & allows you to research what works best for your area in the conditions that exist. If you are even remotely facing the possibility of drought I hope you can find creative landscaping with less lawn.

Answer 3

check with your hardware store and get some of the seed that is for that