So, how do you fix a dead lawn?

There are a few reasons why your lawn might look a bit dreary and under the weather, and knowing how to fix a dead lawn will make it look great again! But the reasons your lawn is in poor health usually fall into a few common areas. Repairing these problems comes down to a few easy tasks that anyone can carry out, such as overseeding with some fresh grass seed or adding nutritious lawn food.

Treat your lawn to some fresh seed

Overseeding is often a solution that gets overlooked when a garden lawn is looking worse for wear, which is a bit ironic since it is often wear and tear that makes your garden look dead. Busy lawns with kids and pets running around and maybe family gatherings and BBQs in better weather – this all adds up and leaves your lawn looking used! But thankfully, this is not hard to fix. You simply need to pick your seed of choice and then evenly scatter it over the areas that need some TLC!

Give your dead lawn some lawn food

If a lawn has not been fed in a while (and most garden lawns don’t get fed enough!), it will begin to show signs of ill health, which can indicate its form in many different ways. For example, your lawn might have patches that don’t grow; this usually means it doesn’t have enough nutrients to thrive. Likewise, your lawn could have areas with lots of weeds, which generally means your grass isn’t strong enough to fight back. Or, your garden could have large areas that appear to be dying, which is a clear sign your lawn needs a good feed!

Just like with grass seed, there are specific lawn foods to suit different purposes. For example, lawn food can be intended to work over a shorter or longer period to give your lawn a quick boost to increase health and be greener, or a 6-week Feed, Weed & Moss Killer to get rid of pesky weeds. Or you could require a longer-lasting feed that provides nutrients for all summer or winter.

Winter diseases can give your lawn the cold!

Winter lawn diseases challenge your grass in the cold winter months. If your garden is low in nutrients, it will be more likely to fall victim to snow mould, red thread, and others. But using a long-lasting winter lawn food in August will give your lawn the strength to overcome whatever winter throws its way!

Make sure your lawn can breathe

The benefits of aerating your lawn are significant, yet most lawns rarely get the treatment. Your lawn needs heat, light, water and nutrients to grow. Your garden soil gets compacted due to general wear and tear, and if it has not been aerated, it will look poorly - and in the worst-case scenario, it will look dead.

The fix for this is simple but requires a little more manual labour from you (but not too much!). To aerate your lawn, you use a garden fork or hollow-tine aerator. You can use a hollow-tine aerator for larger areas, whereas a garden fork is perfect for smaller lawns. Both these tools do the same job of creating holes in your lawn. Just be aware that a hollow-tine aerator will create plugs of soil and grass on your lawn, so you will need to pick these up afterwards.

Our full guide on aerating your lawn offers easy steps to let your lawn breathe!

Your dying lawn is craving sunlight

Another common problem occurs when a lawn doesn’t get enough sunlight. The reduced sunlight is usually caused by tall fences, large trees, or hedgerows that leave your garden in shadow. Regardless of what’s covering your garden in shade throughout the day, we have shade-tolerant grass seed that grows very well in low-light conditions.

Other creatures are feasting amongst your grass

Another problem that some lawns face is pests. This can be anything from worms, leatherjackets, ants and moles. And although these additions nature presents can have their benefits, they can often take a toll on your lawn!

Finally, dog pee patches can also make parts of your lawn yellow and dead. And although dog pee might not be enough to make your entire lawn look dead, it's enough to suggest that something is wrong. But fear not! We have some tips to help you sort out your lawn's doggy pee patches!

Now you know how to fix a dead lawn

Fixing a dead lawn can appear tricky at first because it can often seem that there’s no saving it. If you can ensure your lawn can breathe, is able to get sunlight and has been fed with lawn food recently, then you're well on your way to getting your dream lawn back! Even though we have provided a list of common lawn problems above, your lawn may have a few of these at the same time or something different that’s harder to diagnose.

If this is the case, then please get in touch! Send us an email with some details (and some photos) of your garden’s problems, and we will be happy to help.