How to Grow Grass from Seed and Fix Bare Spots

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Welcome to the official April Wilkerson KZbin channel. I’m April and I’m the creator of Wilker Do’s. I'm not professional or have any training, so I just pick the project I want to tackle and figure it out step by step. On this channel you will find a variety of content like DIY home improvement, How-To’s, construction and more.

[@BearCreekWoodworking]

April, I have a lot of respect and adoration for you because you do not give up on your goals. Even if it takes 4 - 5 years. You keep working until you complete it. I see your drive in this grass growing project, but I have also noticed it in previous projects too. Awesome Lawn! Happy Mowing!!! 😀

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you so much!

[@jesteiner]

There is something very satisfying about mowing. Plus, the look and smell of a freshly mowed lawn can't be beat.

[@BearCreekWoodworking]

I'm glad you grow native grass varieties April. I'm sure that's why your lawn survived a hot, dry summer. Seeing all the dirt you hauled in, makes me appreciate the loam soil on my farm.

[@louroberts5567]

Heeeey, wait a minute! Have you been watching what I do in MY yard?! Haha! Good morning, April! Thanks for another video filled with lots of good info. It really is so very close to how I work my yard. And I totally agree about how cutting the property is relaxing. You're out there smelling fresh cut grass, thinking of nothing else except how much you're enjoying it. Have a great week!

[@deview123]

April, you did a great job spreading and leveling your yard. If you want to make sure that none of your seed washes away, put some straw on it. It will help keep the ground moist and protect your seed and soil from washing away.

[@dianahenderson]

We've had our place up in New England for 5 years now...and you are right to take your time to establish landscaping...we are battling berry canes and wild roses...while experimenting with different meadow seeds...You have good information there...not just for Texas Hill Country...Gardening is a work in progress!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thanks, yes it certainly is! I bet your place is gorgeous! Thanks for watching.

[@dianahenderson]

@@AprilWilkerson Getting there...all due to my wife. I'm in the workshop putzing. :-)

[@codyswilley]

I bought a John Deere's m665 commercial mower a few years back and I absolutely love it. It's the best mower I have ever been on. And I've been on a lot. I used to work on lawn equipment for a living and ive got to say this is the most comfortable and roomy mower I've ever been on

[@krickette5569]

I LOVE to mow too. Heck, I love any outdoor work, but mowing is my favorite. I have a Huge yard and a zero turn Kubota which makes it even more fun.

[@WhEE443]

I love yardwork too! Mowing really is therapeutic. I recently overseeded my lawn, and the hardest thing for sure is keeping it watered. I recommend a programmable hose timer if you don’t have a sprinkler system.

[@Geekchica]

❤❤ Thank You, April for your easy-going manner of teaching. You make the projects very approachable. Kudos on your grass!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you so much!

[@Mikidy303]

I've started mixing in some annual rye grass with my local mix. Grows super fast, provides enough cover to allow the other seed a chance. So far it's been working wonderfully.

[@davidhoover2446]

I have done this a few times and you are right. In Florida fall is our time to plant though since the pouring rain won’t wash it out. I like to use sprinkler timers on the hose to spritz it 3x a day until it begins to grow then reduce as needed. I prefer Bahia grass for Florida because once established after 1 year, you don’t have to water it. It goes dormant during dry periods then becomes beautiful and thick again when watered deeply by the rain! What I’ve done is just a tiller and make sure there’s 1/4” of sand on top of the seed. In Florida we have sand lol. I use 002 microgreen and malorganite to maintain the grass as needed to feed the soil microbes and grass. Then, fall and spring I use dithiopyr pre emergent. It’s my own plan based off the lawn care nut I came up with in my testing that works amazingly and it reduced my time in the lawn. I love mowing, but bot so much spraying and fertilizing.

[@davidhoover2446]

There was a couple environmental posts I saw in here. Make sure you use organic fertilizer instead of synthetic if you fertilize. Synthetic fertilizer has a phosphogypsum byproduct that is radioactive piled up in massive piles forever. I suggest using something like malorganite if you fertilize because it is an awesome recycling program they have.

[@WillysPerformanceCycleCtr]

I like your approach to maintaining the areas you plan to mow! Thanks for a great idea and sharing your experience with us.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great! I'm glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@olddawgdreaming5715]

Thanks for sharing with us April and thanks for the Chore Warrior information . That's a nifty wheel barrow. OLD DAWG DREAMING Fred.

[@TigerWild1]

I remembered a scripture while looking at a dirt area I wanted grass. "the seed is it it's self". So I tried it and spread the cut grass on the dirt area where I wanted grass, I soaked it, watering it everyday. I was surprised. It worked! Thanks for your fun video!

[@TheRich4187]

My yards a wreck these days with bare spots. We had a mole or 2 last yr that we just could not catch. Come spring it looked like a tunnel maze out there loaded with dead grass above them. Nice info

[@mjordan3819]

I use sifted top soil to fill in anything over deeper than 1/2 inch. Then sand to do the final smoothing once the grass is established.

[@MisterTee2010]

Very nice April. Love and God Bless 🤗😘💖🙏

[@ajhieb]

A few other tips... If you have a lot of direct sunlight planting in the fall is recommended. If you have a lot of shade trees, planting in the spring is often better as you can get the grass to germinate before the canopy blocks all of the light. If you're inclined to fertilize, Scott's makes a "Triple Action - For Seeding" (I have no affiliation with them) that is excellent. It includes mesotrione (active ingredient in Tenacity) which acts as a pre-emergent for weeds, but doesn't harm the grass. (any soil that's been prepped for grass seed is also ripe for weed infestation until the grass becomes well established) And if it's feasible (depending on your budget and the area you're covering) I highly recommend putting a thin scattering of peat moss over your newly seeded areas. It helps retain water which is very important and it also helps prevent erosion and also discourages the birds from eating all of your seed. Straw can serve a similar purpose but it's generally not as effective as the peat moss, and it also takes significantly longer to break down whereas the peat moss decomposes fairly quickly (and adds some nutrients to the soil at the same time) Keep the soil damp and enjoy your lawn!

[@jvanamb]

April, Like most of your episodes, I love this one.❤ There are a couple suggestions you might wish to consider. Not just for your own lawn but also should you do an update next year. First I must confess I had no idea Texas had a hill or stone area.😮. Please excuse my ignorance? Back to my big mouth. The idea of installing an irrigation system PRIOR to tilling or enhancing the grade is a Hugh time saver. I have a combination of TORO and TROY BUILT systems. Inexpensive. Easy to install. Available in most parts of the world. Reliable equipment. DIY designed. My sons & grandsons & I installed our systemS, in over 18 acres, in five weekends. It's highly doable! Following viewing this episode I did a brief web search of the drainage recovery system you spoke of. I will continue to search it out for next Spring. The other BIG alternative to your reseeding method if Hydroseeding. Which I used in those areas where top seeding could be used. But not my choice. The reason I prefer Hydroseeding is the seeds get a better bond to the soil. They get immediate watering. The cellulite in the mix adds both mulching to protect the seeds as well as a diversion to birds from eating the seeds. Also I like the instant green paint job from the fertilizer. As far as patch work, and here I may live in a part of the country where prices are cheaper, Caviet, I buy a remnant of turf. From area contractors. And cut the turf to fit those bare spots. Well that's it for me. Thank you for another fine find. Jim in N.Y.

[@microsvc]

It's not just you, Yardwork is my therapy.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Isn't it great? I find it so relaxing. Thanks for watching.

[@more.power.]

Thank you April great insight in getting the lawn to look good. cheers

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad it was helpful!

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

THANKS APRIL,🤗 for giving great advice 🧐…and mentioning the exceptions,and there are many 👍😁 Back in the 1960’s we had clay soil,as hard as rock 😅 and it took several years…the only power tool back then was a rototiller😅💚💚💚

[@bransonhauntedhills]

It's so awesome to hear another woman say that she loves mowing. I love mowing and weed-eating! When I tell people that, they think I am crazy. And the men ask if I have a sister.

[@Ray_Sellner]

You have a beautiful property. I'm in Hill country also. We're in an extreme drought. Hopefully I can seed under the the big tree this fall. This was a great tutorial.

[@ourv9603]

The worst part of laying down grass seed is it has to be kept wet. I always set up a sprinkler and all that but you still need to keep an eye on it & when it starts drying out you have to turn the water on. You cant get distracted or busy & forget. And this goes on for several days until you see green. Its a hassle. But, its either that or sod. !

[@lovejones7545]

Beautiful April!❤ and you've done a great job with your land. It looks awesome!🤙🏾💯

[@AprilWilkerson]

Thank you so much!

[@mleachx1]

April, you should try to pre grow your seed in buckets of water. There are a lot of videos out there that show how and it's easy to do and you end up getting a lot more seed sprout

[@dchall8]

For anyone thinking of starting a new lawn from scratch, I strongly recommend getting involved with an online lawn care forum where you can ask questions, get answers, ask more questions, and carry on a conversation for as long as you need to develop the confidence to jump in. KZbin has a horrible interface for conversations. The process she shows obviously does work for her, but for any other yard in the world, it might not be the best approach. Every lawn installation should be tailored to the conditions. What April did is very specific to the Texas Hill Country and similar terrain. Most people will not have a tractor with front end loader and box blade to help with the work, but most people also will not such a large area to work on. Glad to see you did not use a skid steer or bobcat for that. The best tool for prepping the soil is the box blade, not a rototiller. With some practice you can resurface 5 acres in a morning with a box blade. Starting from rough like you have might take two days but no more. Specifically for April, when you pick up a load with the bucket, the bucket should be flat side horizontal and on the ground. At 0:36 in the video you plunge into a pile of soil with the bucket tilted at an angle and 6 inches off the ground. For the people who commented on your timing for the project, in the Hill Country, summer is good for southern grass seed. Generally for the grasses which survive here, the soil needs to be hot, so spring and fall seeding would be wasting time and money. Much of her process does not apply to lawn installation in the north or at high elevation.

[@leokelly359]

April you are not alone, I enjoy mowing too! only thing is that with my disability I need some assistance with getting from my wheelchair to the mower. but, once I'm on it look out I will see you in 3 hours. put some head phones on and rock out or listen to a podcast and I am good to go.👍👍👍

[@davidminor1254]

My neighbor has a tree that provides shade onto the side yard. However it has been a challenge growing grass there. I would love to mow grass instead of dirt. lol

[@moMo-gi4bs]

Love from KSA April 🎉❤

[@mschenandlerbong8539]

Girl, I don't know where you get the energy. Dayam! My muscles hurt watching this.

[@lifeeasier3462]

April: you are amazing and I am jealous of your power tools

[@justinredman6882]

I don’t remember seeing you post a video about the landscaping around the shop. Will you post video about all of the things you have done over the years?

[@hindomar1294]

دومًا شكرا على ما تقدمينه لنا .. الله يعطيك الصحه و العافيه .

[@mikecurtis2585]

I basically do it the same way! In Alabama we've been having rain just about everyday!!!

[@TimTurner115]

Thank you Ms April. I'm at the beginning of the foothills in Texas. Glen rose. Grass is hard to grow. Weeds are easy. 😅😅😅😂

[@worstworkshop]

Great video! So many of us just give up too quickly.

[@dennishinkle5010]

I have lots of sand and grass grows like crazy but doesn't hold water maybe I will try the system you showed. Thank you for the information. 👍♥️

[@RunsWithScissorsSenior]

Kentucky 31 Tall fescue. “Black Beauty”. Roots can grow to 30’ deep. Mow short and Over seed lightly for two or three years just before first predicted snowfall. Mow tall during regular growing seasons.

[@ethics1017]

April, Can you make a video about a cool mailbox. I'm needing to build one for mom. I want to build one because I'm a very skilled finish carpenter and I understand there are standards that have to be followed.

[@CrudeButEfficient]

Mowing is a great past time! I only have a 13000 square feet plot, so I prefer a battery powered push mower, so I get my exercise! 😁

[@75keg75]

6” Dirt then sheep poop then top soil then seed and more sheep poop. Then rake. Seasol the grass in for week. You can added a 3.1.1 fertilizer in too but try the poop and seasol (seasol is a seaweed derived fertizler in Australia). Then water as needed. Sheep poop can be chicken manure or horse manure and cow poop but sheep is little pellets from source is easier to disperse.

[@torjones1701]

While I liked and appreciate the video, and this particular topic might not really be in keeping with your video, I think it would be beneficial for us to ask ourselves, why do we want big lawns? They eat up a LOT of water in those hot summer months and don't actually do all that much to lower temperatures in the area. Grasses are okay for erosion control, and far better than nothing, but mix in some native wildflowers and feed your local pollinators. Those big expanses of pretty and rare flowers, the sweet aroma they give off, the support of local flora and fauna, it's so much better than just 3" of grass. Kick it up a notch and plant a few trees and bushes, preferably ones that provide fruit for you to eat. Planting a couple dozen trees actually moderates the temperatures in their area by as much as 10-20 degrees. The trees shade and nourish the bushes, which in turn shade and nourish the ground cover, which can be grasses or clover, or even some herbs fit for cooking qualify as ground cover like thyme, and when they flower, it is a sight to behold for certain! As a bonus (or not so much if you love riding around on that lawnmower, honestly though, get an ATV and just go for a ride around all your pretty fields of lush flowering landscape!), there's so much less maintenance to do, you don't mow any more, just let it grow, die off, and let the next cycle of plants take over, it's always flowering if you do it right, and the dominant flowers are always changing so you never notice that some are dying off because others are just entering full bloom. This is how you BUILD soil, and within a few years, you'll have inches of rich black soil just waiting for you to grow bigger and better things in. Also known as the STUN(ing) method of gardening. (Strategic Total Utter Neglect, part of the permaculture branch of gardening.)

[@snazzyd8866]

Fascinating....thanks for sharing

[@PlumdogMilli0naire]

Yard work is my therapy….well it’s cheaper than therapy so it’ll do 😂

[@geekoffline]

Always good videos to inspiring us.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad you like them!

[@funkyjohnhuie]

Thank you! I love this video. Cuz I hate grass 😂. I am simply not good at it. But a lot of great tips here! 👌

[@AprilWilkerson]

Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for watching.

[@genewaddlerandomstuff2122]

I hate mowing, so if I ever re-do my lawn I'll use the slowest growing grass I can find. Right now, I have a little of everything in my yard. If it's reasonable green and doesn't have thorns or stickers, it's welcome here. 🙂

[@AZHighlandHomestead]

3:20 NATIVE grass seed!!!! It will do so much better. This is what we are doing to grow pasture for our sheep. Sheep manure is amazing fertilizer for the grass too. We move them daily in an electric netting that’s 1000sf.

[@K-cee-M]

Hi April, fellow Texan here and my home builder left a lot of bare dirt in my back yard what grass mix did you use in the video?

[@rickyt3961]

thanks for the tip!

[@davethepak]

So, as a fellow texan - I fight not just against the grass and heat - but pulling weeds!!!!! Any suggestions or methods - it feel like half of them come back the next season. thanks for the video.

[@Rob_III]

Great video, as always, April! I've been enjoying your channel for years now! Keep it up! One thing that irks me, though, is that the background music is waaaay to loud. It should be *background* music. I would recommend you lower the music by _at least_ half, maybe even 3 quarters. It's ok to have some music playing in the background but as long as you can *just* hear it, it's more than enough. As an (extreme) example, it's particularly bad @5:22 but that may very well be a slight oversight in editting. But overall it's just a little _too_ present for my taste. Other than that, please don't take this bad. I love your videos and always look forward to the next one.

[@yootoob7048]

I need to grow a lawn indoors. I'm not kidding.

[@riendetout8812]

I tried growing grass. In 2 - 3 weeks I had some tiny grass sprouts. In 4 weeks it was all weeds.

[@RS-Amsterdam]

Do you dance a lot to get rain in Texas??

[@jason-ge5nr]

like growing a lawn has so much to do with where you live.. Just dont cheap out on the seed by getting annual... Dont get hosed by buying coated seed.

[@mattsully5332]

very helpful information!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching.

[@324bear]

I planted a 300 X 300 patch this year... I blended 3 different types of seeds that I purchased from 3 different sources... 1) from my local grain elevator 2) from my local farm store & 3) from a big box store... I probably read the labels on 20 different types of grass seeds, EVERY one said... PLANT ON TOP OF THE SOIL Grass seeds don't do well trying to push up through even a slight layer of soil. Im not trying to be argumentative but the manufacturers of the seeds want you to succeed by using their products, so following their directions is kind of important... Bill

[@snazzyd8866]

Can't argue with results....I have followed their advice and gotten poor results, too.

[@F4Insight-uq6nt]

......OOOHH, You mean actual GRASS!! 😁😆😅🤣😂

[@PunkR0ckz09]

I need to do this at my place, as the field was worked on a couple of times and now its growing weeds like crazy. What would you recommend? Would only tilling the land be enough if I seed grass right after? or do I need to till the land, then a weed killer to make sure it doesn't grow back weed and like a week later seed grass?

[@corymoore9426]

The trash truck ruined my yard Mrs.April, what do I do to fix it? I didn't ask them to put dirt rainbows in my yard. Almost 12-15' . GV.

[@elw6566]

Was hoping you would say the grass seed mix you use. I have hill country property and just like you I have plenty of rock. I have been looking for a native grass mix to help fill in bare spots. A blend that can take some dry periods.

[@AprilWilkerson]

Great! Glad you found it useful. Thanks for watching.

[@staceybert1975]

Hey whatever happened to the elevated garden for growing veggies

[@gcranch9913]

Most agronomists would recommend you not cover the seed with any soil but rather go over it with a packer to make certain it makes contact with the soil. Then water water water

[@ennolanguss]

I'm pretty anti lawn- but I enjoy that you enjoy it

[@censusgary]

Mowing is your favorite thing to do? OK, April, now you’ve lost your damn mind. For years, I’ve been trying to kill the grass in my yard, but it keeps growing back.

[@crystalv4970]

Are you using the habiturf blend?

[@Cletus.223]

#AplriWilkerson Ironically I love mowing also..However I dispise mowing in excessive heat...And lately here in NorthCarolina it's been raining for almost 3 weeks almost everyday and our grass needs mowed terribly...Its 100 Degrees outside..I'm putting it off till later this evening..lol

[@dsmmike95]

I only have a acre lot and would you or anyone recommend seed or sod?

[@lastgameplay]

I may have missed this, but how do you collect the golf balls you hit off your deck?

[@AprilWilkerson]

I have a golf shag bag that collects them as I walk by. I just walk down by my shop and raised garden area and pick them up in no time. Thanks for watching.

[@lastgameplay]

@@AprilWilkerson Hitting of the deck is so cool, thanks for the answer April.

[@TraumaChaplain]

Also, use any available chicken compost to make JADAM fertilizer naturally.... liquid gold!

[@bennettibey9498]

In south Texas. What seed do you use?

[@bunnyultima1875]

Another mention on turf vs seed. Turf has plastic netting inside of it and it's absolutely terrible to deal with. You either have to take it out as you lay it down which is painstakingly annoying, or you have to deal with it in the ground forever and again is pure nightmare for gardening and even pets/general wildlife. Seed all the way.

[@chrisp.76]

If you have a lot of extra land you aren’t doing anything with you should consider planting clover or native plants for pollinators. Many of us are concerned about our environment. If we don’t take care of our pollinators and stop wasting water on lawns we won’t have food to eat. Clover and native plants are drought resistant and don’t require weekly mowing (clover). They are resistant to disease and very low care.

[@TheNashvilleJason]

Im noticing in the suburbs the bees are mostly gone.

[@brygantor4296]

Clover isn’t natural in all areas and can overall be worse for an environment. Areas of wildflowers is probably a better option than clover.

[@K4lN5BHXlll]

I have a lot of white clover throughout my lawn. In the summer of 2022, there were not many bees. I was actually concerned not seeing them. This year, thankfully, I am seeing a lot of them all over the lawn.

[@sirlesliechao]

She implied that she was using habiturf. That is a blend of native Texas grasses.

[@PlumdogMilli0naire]

I have a small plot specific for pollinators and native grasses that’s roped off so no one mows over it. I love seeing all the butterflies, and bees that show up. It’s really cool

[@michaellane4762]

Good Grief April, is there anything you DON'T do? Mike

[@yekaterinapanferova1410]

Well done. Good job. Good girl. Good idea. Very Very Very nice place. Good luck

[@geoffreyfox60]

🐐 and cows like to mow to ❤😂🎉😢😮😊😊

[@abdalnaser6067]

❤❤❤

[@Ethan7s]

They say it grows faster if you watch as it grows.

[@johneken2056]

What is the geology of south Texas that makes the soil look like a demolished KMart parking lot? Anybody?

[@davethepak]

Limestone. A good portion of the middle united states (including texas) was once the basin of a shallow ocean millions of years ago - thus, we have a lot of aquatic fossils....and lots of limestone and sandstone.

[@johneken2056]

@@davethepak Thank you...!

[@zedwpd]

Wheel barrow is $900. Just get a dump trailer behind your mower.

[@AsifKhan-lb7Scarface]

Trust me April you are born PhD😎😎

[@FredMcIntyre]

😃👍🏻👊🏻

[@amcluesent]

Shame the Goonzquad boys never knew this

[@Miguel195211]

Sorry, but you call that grass!

[@AprilWilkerson]

Compared to the dirt and rocks that were there before, yes. Thanks for watching.

[@__lancaster]

1.5 million subscribers and you cant manage wind noise in your microphones. Seriously?

[@snazzyd8866]

Didn't notice anything. How's your channel coming along, champ?

[@AdamLProductions]

You have a Kubota *and* a New Holland? Sheesh....