Bare Spot

There's very little that is more unsightly than a place in your lawn where there is no lawn where there is supposed to be lawn. Your yard is suffering from baldness, but thankfully there's something you can do about it. It's time to reseed and resurrect your lawn.

Material and Tool List
    * Good Quality Seed
    * Starter Fertilizer
    * Lawn Spreader
    * A rake or preferably a verticutter

1. Contact your local nursery and talk to a professional about what type of seed to select when patching up your lawn. There is an incredible amProper Fertilizerount of different grasses out there - it's just a matter of finding the ones that will thrive in your climate. Also, you might want to consult the nursery about what sort of starter fertilizer would be best for your property. You want to select a fertilizer that has a high middle number, which is found on the front of the bag. There are a three numbers that rate fertilizers. The numbers are separated by dashes and they address the ability to stimulate leafy shoot growth, promote root growth and nourish flowers and fruit, respectively. The second number is the one you need to look at. A high number means it will nurture a strong root system, which is key in reseeding.

2. Begin seeding with the proper settings on your lawn spreader as directed by the nursery in a right to left, back and forth, criss-crossing fashion to prevent striping. It's sort of like weaving a grid pattern. The emphasis should be on a uniform spread.

3.SeedUse the same spreader to apply the starter fertilizer in the same manner as you sowed the seed. Again, you want to obtain a real nice, even distribution of fertilizer over your bare spot.

4. You've now got your seed and fertilizer on your soil - now it's time to get it in the soil. For that job a verticutter is the tool of choice. It is a powerful machine with knife-like blades that turn at a high rate of speed and churn the soil, seed and fertilizer up like they are in a blender. It does a much better job than a rake and ensures that the seed is imbedded in the soil. It's highly recommended for this job and can be easily rented if you don't own one. Use the verticutter in a back and forth, criss-cross motion to work the land over your seed.

5. Now that everything is in place, time for the easy part - watering. The desired watering schedule is frequent, light watering for the first 10 to 12 days when the seed germinates and then, less frequent, heavier watering after that period to give proper hydration to the young, growing roots. A good rule is to simply water until the first inch or so of earth is moistened when you begin and, later, to get to the roots of your new grass. In two weeks, you should have grass where there is supposed to be grass. Your lawn will be thicker and greener than ever and that's a good feeling.