How to Revive Dead Patches of Lawn

The harsh Australian heat can leave areas of your lawn faded and patchy. As the soil starts to compact from foot traffic, it becomes impossible for turf runners to penetrate the soil to receive much needed water and oxygen.

However, all hope is not lost and with these 5 simple steps, you’ll have your lawn looking lush and green in no time at all.

Steps you can follow:

Remove any weeds

Weeds are oxygen, water and nutrient stealing thieves. To give your lawn the best possible chance of reviving, you’ll need to remove these pests first. Simply hand weeding small patches of lawn will suffice, however if you have something larger, you may need to use herbicides to kill them. You can try some of our natural weed killer solutions here if you want to avoid using chemicals.

Remove dead thatches

Thatch is a dead layer of grass that builds up over time at the base of your lawn, which prevents water and oxygen from getting down to the roots. Using a metal rake, remove the dead layer of grass, pulling the rake through the turf in long strokes. Make sure to press down firmly to remove as much thatch as possible, as it can get quite knotty and tough.

Aerate the soil

Over time, your lawn is subjected regular use and foot traffic, which causes compaction and prevents absorption of nutrients, oxygen and water. You can aerate the soil by sinking the tips of a pitch fork 5cm deep into the soil across the whole lawn.

Out with the old and in with the new

If you suspect the lawn is too far gone the next best method is to replace the dead patch entirely with some fresh new turf.

• Start with removing the dead patch using a metal rake or garden fork.
• The soil is most likely going to be compact so you will need to de-compact it using a shovel or garden hoe to aerate the soil. This will allow fresh nutrients, oxygen and water into the soil.
• Add a layer of sand to level the existing soil if necessary, this will provide a soft base for the fresh turf to spread its roots easily and begin the repair process.
• You can either purchase a fresh bit of lawn and cut it into smaller pieces or simply cut up some of your existing lawn and spread it throughout the bare patch.
• Use any leftover sand or soil to cover up the edges and bare patches.
• Water the new turf along with the rest of your lawn and try to avoid mowing it as the repair process can take up to 3 months to fully complete.

Don’t forget to fertilise

Fertilising your lawn helps supplement it’s nutrient levels for when the soil has been depleted. There are a number of different fertilisers including quick and slow release, granules, and ready-to-use spray liquids. Make sure you don’t over fertilise as this can cause salts to build up in the soil and make it difficult for water to be absorbed.

What causes a brown patch on your lawn?

Brown patch lawn disease

This lawn disease is caused by microorganisms that have been brought to the lawn externally, either from shoes, pets or borrowed lawn mowers. The disease will typically infect a lawn that already has poor health, with large round circles anywhere between 20cm to a metre long, and usually happens during Spring.

Unfortunately there is no quick fix and will require a series of steps to fix, which includes reducing watering and only early in the mornings, removing all the thatch, aerating the lawn, and ensuring your lawn gets ample sunlight. You may also need to identify the pathogen and use appropriate fungicide to remove it.

Dollar-size patches

The name says it all, they are small yellowish patches that are the size of a one dollar coin and are typically caused from a lack of nutrients in the soil. With a lack of lawn maintenance such as watering at night, and forgetting to do any of the steps listed above, can cause the issue to worsen.

However, this issue can easily be resolved with proper lawn maintenance and care.

Pet urine

Letting your pet dog urinate on your lawn can cause small brown patches to appear due to high amounts of nitrogen present in your furry friend’s urine. These spots will usually clear up on their own after a few weeks, but can also be diluted with a quick hose down.

Dry patches

Random dry patches can appear without proper lawn care and maintenance. This means you’ll need to aerate the soil underneath so that fresh nutrients, oxygen and water can replenish the soil below.

While you’re at it…

You’ve spent a fair amount of time in your garden trying to revive your lawn, what about your trees and plants?

We have a few guides to help you with some gardening tasks, from pruning your trees to planting tips, getting rid of ants and creating a low maintenance garden.

Genuine turf requires constant care and maintenance to stay lush and green all year round. From specified watering times by law and weeding, fertilising and lawn mowing, these are just some of the contributing factors in achieving healthy green grass.

However, if you lack the time and still want a green lawn, why not try artificial grass? It’s green all year round and does not require a single drop of water. It doesn’t require weeding, dethatching, or fertilser, and is safe for children and pets.
Contact Integrity Concrete and find out how you can have all the perks of a healthy green lawn without lifting a finger.
Have a look at our project gallery and see how your backyard could look like.