How to Plant Grass in Bare Spots on My Lawn

Overview

Bare spots in your lawn can be unsightly. But before you rush to re-seed it, take some time to discover why your lawn has bare spots in the first place. It could be due to poor drainage, heavy traffic, over-fertilization, or any number of reasons. Planting grass in bare spots may be a quick fix, but the grass will likely die again unless you get to the root of the problem.

Step 1

Make any thin or bare spots in your lawn more visible by raking the lawn thoroughly with a broom rake. Then follow with a double-duty rake to remove any thatch.

Step 2

Use a hand cultivator to loosen the soil in the bare spots to a depth of 1 inch. If the bare spots are a result of heavy traffic, loosen the soil to a depth of 6 inches and then mix in a 2-inch layer of peat moss.

Step 3

Sprinkle a starter fertilizer over the bare spot according to the manufacturer's instructions.

Step 4

Rake the soil level.

Step 5

Hand-broadcast the seed onto the bare spot. This is not an exact science, but aim for around six grass seeds per square inch.

Step 6

Water the bare spot so that it is moist but not soaking. Keep the bare spot consistently moist until the grass seed sprouts.