How to repair thinning grass, patches and holes in your lawn

How to repair a thinning grass

When your lawn patches appear, it’s time to apply some fresh grass seed to rescue it – this process is known as overseeding. This is when you add grass seed to an already established lawn to thicken thinning areas and repair areas showing clear signs of wear and tear. To get the best results, we recommend you carry out overseeding between April – September.

First time overseeding? Follow these steps below, or for a more in depth guide, you can find our full blog on overseeding here.

Follow these easy steps to overseed patches:

• Mow your lawn before repairing the patches, as you won’t be able to while the new seedlings establish
• Rake away any clippings, stones or debris from the patchy section and loosen the soil
• Ideally, allow the area to cultivate for 10-14 days; this will encourage any dormant weeds to appear on the surface, which can then be removed by hand.
• Use a quick-release fertiliser to strengthen the new grass, applying at a rate of 70g per m2 and watering it in until dissolved
• Once dissolved, overseed the area at a rate of 35g per m2
• Water the area daily for the first six weeks after sowing your seed - you can avoid doing this if there is prolonged rainfall

Top tip: A pre-seed quick-release fertiliser can add nutrients to the soil to support the growth of the new seedlings while benefiting your existing damaged grass. The quick boost it provides in preparation for reseeding helps your lawn fill out quickly and repair faster. Apply fertiliser evenly on an overcast day or in the evening when it’s not too hot, and ensure you water in the fertiliser after application to get it working quickly and to avoid burning the grass blades.

Fertiliser to thicken thinning grass:

If your grass is thinning slightly, you may be able to thicken it up with a fast-acting nitrogen-rich fertiliser. Whilst nitrogen also helps to make your grass greener, it can also help strengthen the roots of your current grass. However, a reseed will be more efficient if the area is particularly ‘bald’.

You can find out more about what to feed your lawn and how best to do it here.

Repairing holes/pits in your lawn

If the holes/pits are only slight, then repairing the grass should be a simple process and can be easily repaired with a little top dressing to level out the surface and reseed, but for anything more than 1/2″ deep, you will need to follow the below steps:

1. Using a half-moon edging iron and spade, remove the damaged grass by cutting the section out in a square shape.
2. Gently forking over the remaining soil in the section.
3. Sprinkle compost or topsoil over the section.
4. Sow the grass seed over the base at a rate of 50g per sq metre.
5. Sprinkle a small amount of compost or topsoil on the seed to protect it from birds.
6. Keep the new seed watered, don’t overdo it, but enough to keep the soil moist.

For further reading, we have included a few guides from our Help & Advice section to help you get the best results from your lawn care project:

• Tips for lawn overseeding
• How to sow grass seed
• How long does grass take to grow?