Repairing Dead Grass

Consumer Question
I thought I was repairing dead grass in my backyard by simply watering it more often, but that hasn’t worked. I live in the southeast and am worried my lawn has some sort of disease. How do I go about repairing this dead grass assuming it’s not drought related?
-Mercer T.



Expert Answer
Start by identifying the disease. I suggest taken a patch of the infected grass to your local garden center or home improvement retailer and see if they can help you identify the problem and recommend the appropriate fungus control product.

Once you have the fungus under control, you can repair the areas of dead grass. Start by mowing the areas around the dead grass, as well as the dead grass areas as short as possible. Make sure you bag or rake up the clipping. In the dead areas, remove the dead grass to expose the soil. Next, use a metal rake to loosen up the top ¼” to ½” of soil. This ensures a good seed bed.

Next, plant the new seed at the manufactures recommended seeding rate as well as apply a starter fertilizer to the seeded area.

Lastly, cover the seed with a thin layer of top soil, seeding mulch or wheat straw. You will need to keep the seed moist until it germinates.