How to Patch a Smothered Lawn | Ask This Old House

Ask This Old House landscape contractor Roger Cook reseeds a dead section of lawn and blends it in with the rest of the yard.
SUBSCRIBE to This Old House:
Cost: $150
Skill Level: Moderate
Tools List for Patching a Smothered Lawn:
Gas powered roto-tiller
Wheelbarrow
Rake
Broadcast spreader
Hose
Shopping List:
Compost
Grass seed (based on location)
Starter fertilizer (high in phosphorus)
Steps:
1. Use the roto-tiller on the smothered soil to loosen it up.
2. Rake the soil to smooth it out.
3. Spread the compost over the soil with a rake.
4. Use the roto-tiller to incorporate the compost with the existing soil. Rake it out smooth again.
5. Load the seed into the broadcast spreader and apply it generously to the soil.
6. Use the back of the rake to gently push the seed into the soil.
7. Load the starter fertilizer into the spreader and apply it to the soil. If doing this wrok in the spring, select a fertilizer that also includes Tupersan to prevent weed seeds from germinating.
8. Apply a top dressing of compost to the rest of the lawn.
9. Add seed to the top dressing for the rest of the lawn a little less generously than before. Use the back of the rake to push the seed into the soil.
10. Add more starter fertilizer to the rest of the lawn.
11. Give the lawn a good watering, roughly twice a day for a few weeks until the grass gets to about 3” tall.
Resources:
Roger recommended using a roto-tiller to loosen the soil, which can be rented from a home center or tool rental shop.
He then adds compost to boost soil nutrition. In the Northeast, Roger recommends using a seed blend made up of rye, fescue, and bluegrass. When planting a lawn in springtime, Roger uses a starter fertilizer that also contains tupersan to prevent weed seeds from germinating.
All of the supplies and materials for this project can be found at home centers and landscape supply stores.
About Ask This Old House TV:
Homeowners have a virtual truckload of questions for us on smaller projects, and we're ready to answer. Ask This Old House solves the steady stream of home improvement problems faced by our viewers—and we make house calls! Ask This Old House features some familiar faces from This Old House, including Kevin O'Connor, general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, and landscape contractor Roger Cook.
Follow This Old House and Ask This Old House:
Facebook:
Twitter:
Pinterest:
Instagram:
Tumblr:
For more on This Old House and Ask This Old House, visit us at:
How to Patch a Smothered Lawn | Ask This Old House
/