How to Revive Dead Grass

Have you been looking out at your lawn lately, wondering “why is my grass dying”? If you have a sad-looking lawn or your grass is dying in patches, don’t panic! There are a few ways you can try to revitalise your lawn without having to pull it up and start over.

Whether you’re concerned about patches of dead grass or your entire lawn, find out more about how to revive dead grass below! 

Bringing Dead Grass Back to Life

Rain or water

Sometimes, grass can look pretty dry and dead because it’s lacking hydration. If you have dry grass, give it a quick water (if water restrictions permit), or wait for rain to come. This can revitalise grass and bring it back to its natural green colouring. If you’re currently experiencing a drought where you live, be patient with your grass. Chances are a lot of other peoples’ lawns are in the same position, and it’s a matter of waiting until water restrictions lift or rain comes to alleviate the problem. 

Remove weeds and dead grass

Grass can get smothered if there are too many weeds present. This can kill the grass, and lead to a garden of weeds instead. To begin the process of reviving your grass, remove as many weeds as possible, along with dead patches of grass.

Not only can weeds take away from the aesthetic of a perfect lawn, but they also create competition for moisture and nutrients. This means that the more weeds there are, the less vital resources there will be available to your grass, which can lead it to die in patches in the affected areas. Removing weeds will give new seeds a better chance of getting established with less competition and coverage, and free up nutrients and moisture for your grass to soak up.

Reseeding Your Lawn

When watering and weeding doesn’t work, the best way to get your grass growing healthy again is to reseed. This doesn’t mean starting from scratch – reseeding simply involves introducing new grass seeds to your existing lawn to help boost growth and fullness.

Aerate or rough up the soil

Before spreading your new grass seeds, rough up the soil a little bit by coring or put on some aeration shoes to walk across your yard. This will help to give the seeds a good start by loosening the soil so it’s easier for them to stick. Having soil that’s able to “breathe” also means less compacted soil, which is great news for your grass!

Reseed 

Identify the grass variety you have and head to your local garden centre to find its seed. If you can’t find an exact match (or are unsure of the variety of grass you have growing), try to pick a grass that’s a close match in terms of texture and needs. Sprinkle the new grass seed onto the patches that need revitalising, and water them in well. The best times to do this tend to be spring or autumn when the weather is milder, rather than being too cold or too hot. If you’d like to learn more about this step, we have a whole article dedicated to tips for growing lawn from seed. 

Keeping Grass Healthy 

Once you have reseeded your lawn, you’ll need to take measures to encourage growth and keep it healthy! Along with weeding and feeding and lawn pest management, here are some of the best ways you can work to keep your grass healthy: 

Fertilising your lawn

This step can either be done before the lawn is re-seeded or just after. Find a suitable fertiliser for the type of lawn you have, and apply it to your grass. It’s important to pick the right time of year to fertilise your lawn – much like planting grass seed, it’s best to avoid fertilising grass during the cold of winter or peak heats of summer. For best results, pick a mild time of year to add fertiliser to your lawn.

Keeping it mown 

Mowing your grass might seem straightforward, but there’s an art to it with different lawn mowing techniques. While it’s good to keep grass cut, it is also important to ensure that it is not cut too short, as this can make it less resilient against heat or frost. If you have super short grass, you may also find that it gets burnt and damaged easier. Having a little extra length is a good way to give your lawn a bit of added protection against the elements.

Removing weeds frequently

Rather than avoiding the task for months and feeling overwhelmed when you notice the number of weeds that have sprung up (we’ve all been there!), try controlling weeds by pulling them out as you see them pop up. Weed-pulling can be a low priority, but dedicating a little time each week to removal can feel much less daunting than needing to do a mass weeding session every few months. Try pencilling in 30 minutes a week to tackle the problem, or, pull them out as you pass them while doing other tasks.

Call in the Experts

A bit of care, weeding, and reseeding should be able to bring the colour back to your lawn. At Jim’s Mowing, we can help you out with any of your lawn or garden maintenance tasks, including mowing, aeration, dethatching, and more. Get in touch to take the first steps in growing a healthy, happy lawn!