by Tim Harry

Created on: June 08, 2010   Last Updated: June 09, 2010

Bare spots in the lawn can be a real eyesore. It could be that the bare area is one where there is a lot of foot traffic, where the lawn is undernourished, or where the family dog decides to do his business. No matter than cause, the situation can become all too obvious after some thorough raking or mowing.

Where the lawn is bare it becomes necessary to reseed or to re-turf. Re-turfing is the quick solution, but the cheaper alternative is to reseed, and for successful growth there are a few tips for reseeding a lawn.

The first tip for reseeding a lawn is all about preparation. Simply buying some grass seed and sprinkling on the surface of the ground is going to have sporadic results at best. Undertaking the job at the right time of the year is important. Grass seed can be sown at any time of the year, although the best growing conditions come in either spring or autumn, before the harshness of the summer or the first frosts.

The choice of grass seed needs to be considered. There are many different types of grass, and whilst matching to the existing should be a simple enough job, getting the advice of someone from the local garden centre may be a good first step.

The ground then needs to be prepared. The lawn will need a good raking to remove any debris or leaves from the surface. Weed killer may need to be applied, and the ground should probably be aerated, either with a fork or an aerator. Aerating allows for any compacted soil to be broken up, but also allows for water and nutrients to travel through the soil much more easily. This water and nutrients will be vital in ensuring that the new seeds, and their future roots in particular, can flourish.

Following on from the preparation stage, it is time to start sowing. Again there are a few tips for reseeding a lawn that do help for successful growth.

In most cases it is perfectly acceptable to just take the seeds and start to sow, but some homeowners do find that because of the nature of their soil that a mix of seed, sand and compost works best.

Sowing the lawn seeds themselves is an easy undertaking. Grass seeds will come with instructions about the density with which they should be sown, and these instructions should be followed. Successful grass growth will require a relatively dense sowing of the seed. The actual sowing can be done by hand, although there are machines that will do the job.

Reseeding a lawn though doesn’t stop with the grass seed having been sprinkled on the ground. There are more

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