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Repairing Dead Grass Spots

Seeding
4 min read

Bare patches and dead spots in your grass can be a frustrating sight. Find out what causes them and how to fix them from the experts at Jonathan Green.

Jonathan Green has been working for more than 100 years to bring beautiful dark-green lawns to homeowners using only the highest quality traditional and organic products. Since 1881, we have experimented with turfgrass varietals to breed our genetically superior turf grasses, such as those found in our Black Beauty® grass seed mixtures.  

We supply grass seed, organics, and weed, insect and disease control products to both the independent retailer and professional lawn care markets. All of our products are rigorously tested to ensure that they perform to the highest standards in order to transform your lawn and help it thrive.

Why Are There Dead Spots in My Lawn?

Patchy dead spots can come from many directions, including fungal diseases, animal digging, grub damage, dog urine, and plain, old heat and drought. Here are some other common causes:

  • Compacted soil can make it difficult for grass seed to grow because the roots are unable to access the air and soil nutrients they need.
  • Shade from trees and buildings can cause thin grass growth, straggly grass, and bare patches. Dead spots in the lawn may occur because the area is not getting enough sunlight.
  • Fertilizer, herbicides, pesticides, and some insect repellants can cause brown spots or burn the grass if spilled.
  • Lawn diseases and insects like soil surface-feeding chinch bugs and sub-soil feeding white grubs, can cause thin, patchy grass.

What Can I Do to Fix the Problem?

Overseeding the lawn or introducing some fresh seed into the thin, patchy areas is the best solution. We recommend these Jonathan Green Black Beauty® grass seed mixtures:

  • Black Beauty® Ultra Grass Seed is most similar to what is grown on sod farms. The seed mixture contains exclusive, elite varieties of tall fescue, Kentucky bluegrass and perennial ryegrass.  These cool season grasses grow a naturally dark-green and beautiful lawn with excellent heat and drought tolerance.
  • Black Beauty® Fall Magic Grass Seed is specially formulated for successful fall seeding after Labor Day. It contains several cool season grass types, including Black Beauty® tall fescues. Use it in sunny and shady lawn areas on established lawns or to start a new lawn from scratch. Black Beauty® Fall Magic Grass Seed germinates in about 14 days and provides an attractive, thicker, greener lawn.
  • Black Beauty® Patcher Lawn Bare Spot Repair is an all-in-one bare spot patching solution. It contains Black Beauty® grass seed, starter fertilizer, and seed establishment mulch. It seamlessly blends into existing lawns and covers more bare spots than any other lawn patching mixture on the market.

Before overseeding, it’s important to encourage good seed-to-soil contact. Clean out any dead grass, remove weeds, and get rid of rocks, sticks, or other debris.

Jonathan Green Love Your Soil® will loosen compacted soil and aerate it to give the new roots a better chance to grow. It will also feed the soil microbes, making the soil more alive and porous, and enhance root development.

Use a soil pH tester to ensure that the soil pH is between 6.2 and 7.0. To balance the pH and help the lawn grow greener and healthier, use Jonathan Green MAG-I-CAL®. It can be applied the same day as you introduce the grass seed.

Learn more about repairing dead grass spots by visiting Jonathan Green online, or find a local independent retailer near you for reliable lawn and garden advice.

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