If you’re like many of us there are parts of your lawn that don’t look so great. Foot traffic, pets, standing water, drought, heavy equipment and vehicles, and a whole host of other things can make holes show up in your lawn. The grass dies in patches and you need a way to fill those holes.
Patching holes in your lawn isn’t difficult. You don’t need a lot of specialty equipment. Depending on how many holes you have to patch, it probably won’t be all that expensive or time-consuming either. You’ll just need a few basic tools, some time, and seed or sod to fill in the gaps in the lawn.
Tools You’ll Need
To patch your lawn, you’ll need a few simple landscaping tools:
- Shovel or cultivator. You need to work the soil before planting, and you can do that by hand with a shovel or with a powered cultivator. A mini cultivator would be a great, time-saving tool for this task.
- Landscaping rake. You’ll be using this to smooth the soil out before planting.
- Sprinkler or a garden hose with a spray nozzle
These tools are optional:
- Hand trowel or rake. These tools can be useful for removing weeds and rocks from the area you’re patching.
- Compost or fertilizer. Enriching the soil with compost or a fertilizer designed for lawn grass can help ensure healthier growth.
- Spreader. If you’re planting a large area, a spreader can be a big help in evenly spreading seeds and/or fertilizer.
- Water ballast roller. This can help you smooth out the lawn if the surface is uneven. It’s also useful for firming down sod if you choose to use that instead of seeding.
If you don’t have any of these tools or need to replace the ones you have, we can help. Richardson Saw & Lawnmower carries a variety of cultivators and tillers as well as Corona hand tools.
Prepping the Lawn
Prepare the lawn by digging up the area that needs to be patched. Remove weeds and damaged grass, then turn the soil with a shovel or cultivator. Work out past the problem spot and into the healthy grass about 6 to 8 inches.
Remove any large roots and rocks from the area. Amend the soil with compost or fertilizer, if you’re using them. I highly recommend adding a layer of compost or other organic amendments to improve the soil texture and add nutrients. Finally, smooth out the prepared soil with your landscaping rake.
If your grass died because of standing water on the lawn, you may need to take more dramatic steps to improve how well your lawn drains. Click here to read our article about how to level an uneven lawn.
Seed or Sod?
You’ll probably want to match the grass in the patched areas to what’s already growing in your yard. Our articles “What Type of Grass Is In My Lawn?” and “Your Quick Guide To Texas Turf Grass” can help you identify which grass species you have.
Seed is the easiest and least expensive way to patch holes in your lawn. It is also the slowest. Plugs and sprigs can speed up the process because you’re planting grass that is already growing. Sod is the fastest, and most expensive, way to patch holes in your lawn.
Planting and Care
For seeds, follow planting instructions on the package. You should plan to sow warm-season grasses like Bermuda grass in late spring or early summer, and cool-season grass like bluegrass in early fall. After sowing, water thoroughly and then cover the area with a layer of straw to protect the seeds. Water every day, morning and evening, until the seed sprouts. After the grass is growing, gradually cut back to watering once a week.
You can lay sod any time of the year. Cut the sod to fit the size and shape needed, and make it level with the surrounding lawn. Water the lawn, then firm it down with a water ballast roller or by carefully walking over the area. Water every day until the sod is rooted, which takes about 10 to 14 days.
With these tips, you’ll soon have a nicely patched lawn with healthier, greener grass.
