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Repairing a Lawn

As the weather gets milder, our thoughts turn to our outside spaces.  (In our garden centre, we reckon that the Easter weekend kicks off the gardening season for most of our customers!)  And now is a really good time to think about sorting out your lawn, if it needs it.  This mild but damp weather will help any new seed or turf to establish quickly, in good time for the sunnier months when you’ll want to be out on it. 

If your lawn is in a really sorry state, it may be best to ‘cut your loses’ and re-lay it entirely, either with fresh turf or seed.  A lawn that is constantly patched may never look as smart as a new lawn, laid with the same batch of turf or seed mix.  However, if you do only have a few areas that need attention, they can easily be sorted out. 

Here is our guide on some of the most common lawn problems and how to solve them.

How to repair bare patches

We’d encourage you to start by thinking about what caused the bare patch in the first place.  Is this an area of high traffic?  Was it caused by being too shady?  Is it just an edge that has become worn?  If it’s either of the first two, consider purchasing a seed mix or turf that is specifically designed to cope with shade or heavy footfall.  This can help prevent the problem coming back.  If it’s just a worn edge, that’s probably just life!

Regardless of the cause of the problem, the solution is the same – you patch it.  You have three choices in terms of what to patch it with: new turf; lawn seed or; a patch of existing lawn taken from an inconspicuous area.  Read on for details of each.

Repairing with lawn seed

Lawn seed is quick and easy to sow, it’s cheaper than turf and you can choose a seed mix to suit your garden conditions.  The downside is that it will take longer to establish, so you may have an area of your lawn sectioned off for a few months while it does.  If that’s not a problem, here’s how to do it:

  • Cut out a square of turf around the damaged spot and just a little bigger than it. Slice all around the edge and then slice underneath the turf to a depth of around 2 inches (5 cms).  You can use a half-moon edging tool if you have one or just a flat-bladed space will be fine.
  • Lightly fork over the soil, getting rid of any large stones if you can. You might also want to work in some top soil or garden compost for extra nutrition.  Gently firm the area over with your feet to make a level surface.
  • The seed packet will tell you how much seed to use based on the size of your patch; it’s usually around 15–25g per sq m (½–¾oz per sq yard). If it’s a larger area, consider mixing some dry sand in with the seed before you scatter it, to help you see where you’ve already sown. Try to scatter as evenly as you can, then lightly cover the seeds with some compost or top-soil to help prevent wildlife eating them.  (For a small patch, that may be enough but you could consider covering the area with garden fleece or netting to keep any determined birds off).
  • Water gently, preferably with a watering can with a fine rose attachment to avoid disturbing the seed.

Repairing with turf

Turf does provide an instant fix, whether you are using new turf or something cut from another area of your lawn.  This probably means you’ll be able to use it sooner than patching with seed.  However, the cost of new turf is usually more than seed, so that might be a consideration for you.  Here’s how to patch with turf:

  • Prepare the area as for using lawn seed:
  • Cut out a square of turf around the damaged spot and just a little bigger than it. Slice all around the edge and then slice underneath the turf to a depth of around 2 inches (5 cms).  You can use a half-moon edging tool if you have one or just a flat-bladed spade will be fine.
  • Lightly fork over the soil, getting rid of any large stones if you can. You might also want to work in some top soil or garden compost for extra nutrition.  Gently firm the area over with your feet to make a level surface.
  • If you intend to use some turf from your own garden, find an inconspicuous spot and cut out an identical-sized square of healthy turf. If you are using newly-bought turf, unroll it and cut out your square (or sections to make up a square) from the roll.
  • Place the healthy piece of turf into the prepared square, and firm down, ensuring it sits at the same level as the surrounding lawn. You can add or remove the soil from underneath if you need to adjust it a bit.
  • To ensure the edges mesh neatly, work around them pressing down with the back of a rake, then brush a sandy lawn top-dressing or some sieved soil into any potential gaps.
  • Water thoroughly.​

How to even out minor bumps and hollows

Over time, it is natural that lawns may develop hollows or bumps, perhaps where soil has settled or a large stone has worked nearer the surface.  If the difference is only minor, sprinkling on top-dressing each year may be enough to help level the area out gradually. However, if you want to resolve the issue more quickly, here’s how to do it:

  • Cut through the uneven area with a flat-bladed spade or edging tool, then make two slits parallel to each end of your first cut. This should leave you with an H-shaped incision, allowing you to peel back the turf on either side of the problem spot.
  • Now you can see the underlying soil, fork it to either remove the excess soil or stones or to add some new top soil to correct the level. Firm the soil down and replace the two folds of turf.
  • Before firming down and watering, check the lawn is level as you want it; you can always do some further adjustments now if you need to.
  • When you’re happy, compress the turf edges back down with the back of a rake and brush a sandy lawn top-dressing or some sieved soil into the joins. Water well.

How to repair lawn edges

It’s common for lawn edges to get damaged unintentionally just by being walked on or by shading from overhanging plants.  A crisp, well-defined edge makes the whole lawn look much smarter, so it’s worth repairing any worn areas and re-cutting the edges regularly.

  • Cut a square of turf that is at least twice as wide as the damaged area; you should have the damaged edge on one side and then a healthy edge on the other. It doesn’t matter if your square is fairly large; in fact, a larger turf will likely survive better than a tiny one.
  • Try to make it as truly square as you can. Remember to slice under the turf as cleanly as you can to help ensure it’s in one piece.
  • As before, fork over the exposed soil, work in some compost if you wish and then level it gently.
  • Turn your turf square through 180° so that the inner, healthy edge now aligns with your lawn edge and the damaged patch is facing into the lawn. Firm it down and water well.  This now ensures that you have a fresh, firm edge to your lawn.
  • If your damaged patch is on the large side (more than about 8 inches wide), you may want to consider infilling with some lawn seed (see our instructions above).  However, if it is smaller than that, a healthy lawn will soon grow-in to fill the gap naturally.

Take a look at our Lawncare Calendar to help keep your lawn in tip-top condition, easily, all year.