Even lawns that get TLC every single day can spring the odd bare spot. From fungal infection to fertilizer, from dog wiz to leaf cover, there are so many causes for those barren zones that you’ll inevitably have to deal with them at some point in your gardening life.
Whether your grass will heal itself and sprout new leaves through the bare spot depends on the cause and what type of grass it is.
Grasses that have runners (vine-like tendrils) that spread above ground and connect to a rhizome route network in the earth will eventually find and slip into bare spots, automatically repopulating them with fresh blades of grass.
Prime examples of common grasses that spread via a runner, stolon system include Bermuda and Kentucky bluegrass. In Southern climates, St. Augustine, centipede, and zoysia grasses have the same self-maintenance system. Creeping red fescue is best for Northern climates.
Clumping grasses without runners do spread, but as they populate earth by slowly expanding their crown, thereby thickening the clump of grass that sprouts from it, They won’t revive a dead spot.
The only way for most grasses to fill in that troublesome bare spot is by reseeding, but as we mow our lawns frequently, they never reach that point in their reproductive cycle.
It’s important to note that even if you do have a runner grass, if the cause of the problem isn’t addressed, any grass that takes root in the bare spot will suffer the same fate as the grass that came before it. To remedy this, let’s look at some measures you can take to prepare a bare spot for regrowth.
First thing’s first...diagnosis. You need to find out why that bare spot came about in the first place. Once you’ve done that, follow one of these methods to patch up that otherwise luscious lawn of yours.
If your pooch has been peeing on your lawn, the best course of action is to saturate the area with a bit of excess water to filter all the excess nitrogen and salt into the earth.
Next you’ll need to disturb the soil a bit by scraping the surface. Now you can reseed and give your pooch a stern talking to.
For patching up scars caused by turf disease, you’ll need to treat the infection, churn the soil and any residual dead grass, mix it with some fresh, fertile soil, then over-seed and water as usual.
If your grass has been starved of sunlight and air due to leaf coverage, rake away the leaves, disturb the soil, and sprinkle on some seeds. It will be right as rain in no time.
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What is the Best Lawn Patch Product?
There are a number of fantastic lawn patch products, each of them designed for use in specific circumstances.
Best All-Rounder Lawn Patch Product
Our favorite lawn patch product for fixing up those spots that have fallen prey to nasty fungi is Scotts DiseaseEx Lawn Fungicide.
This miracle formula gives your problem areas up to four weeks of solid protection from 26 different, highly common and destructive lawn diseases. It’s especially handy for reviving brown grass.
For best results, we recommend applying this formula to the infected area as soon as possible. As such, it’s wise to have a sack of this in storage, so you’re primed and ready to combat any sign of disease as soon as it crops up.
Best Lawn Patch Product for Dog Spots
If you’ve got a mischievous pup that likes to let it all loose on your lawn, we recommend Scotts EZ Seed Dog Spot Repair Sun and Shade.
It’s a magical, triple-threat blend of mulch, seed, and soil that instantly revitalizes that unfortunate canine splash zone.
Best Lawn Patch Product for Shaded Areas
Pennington Smart Dense Shade Fertilizer Mix is awesome for patching up the aftermath of a turf disease caused by shaded areas of your garden.
This fertilizer and seed combo doesn't just survive in that cold zone, it downright thrives, sprouting wonderfully dense blades with color to rival your sun soaked stretches of lawn.
Best Patch-Specific Lawn Patch Product
Designed specifically for filling in those little bare zones, Scotts EZ Seed Patch and Repair Sun and Shade, 10 lb. - Combination Mulch, Seed and Fertilizer does a fantastic job of replenishing heavy-traffic areas, filling in dog spots, or breathing life into a previously diseased zone.
The mulch absorbs six times its weight in water and forms a nurturing and protective layer around the seeds, preventing wash away and ensuring healthy growth.
Best Lawn Patch Product for Heavy Traffic
If you’re looking for the tough stuff that can handle the kids playing soccer and the pooch playing fetch, X-Seed Ultra Premium High Traffic Lawn Seed Mixture, is the patch product for you.
Suitable for sunny and lightly shaded areas, these seeds don’t care if there’s a high sand content in the soil, they’re strong enough to thrive under the feet of giants.
