How To Seed And Repair Bare Spots in the Lawn

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

For those asking about grass seed, here’s what I recommend - ryanknorrlawncare.com/product-category/grass-seed/ Need help with your lawn? Check out my FREE Guide - ryanknorrlawncare.com/simplelawnguide/ Get 5% off ANY Simple Lawn Solutions Product on Amazon using code ryanknorr - bit.ly/rklcsimplelawnamazon

[@cfoster2344]

Ryan, I live in Austin Texas and I was wondering what would you recommend for a lawn that is completely shaded?

[@deeferan7467]

i wonder should i aerating before i put topsoil?

[@deeferan7467]

manually

[@FluffyBunny9002]

We will never meet, but I just wanted to say you and I look a lot alike. You might be my long lost brother.

[@mariomontes5646]

I see a lot of videos posted from Midwest and southern states about lawns. I’m Southern California was wondering which grass types grow best here?

[@docdj69a]

Watched the video to get tips on repairing my lawn and got the added bonus of seeing your Westie!

[@Tomas.X]

Wisconsin here. My lawn looked great for years after we built and used a service for over 12 years. Got lazy canceled service, stopped aeration. And all hell broke loose. Weeds and compacted soil plus dry summers = lumpy lawn and dead spots. We also have a very rounded hill in the back dropping 10 feet to wetlands. The back is awful, and I determined it was the dry summers, with occasional storms, caused what you see in deserts, with hundreds of "gullies". The flat areas are a mixture of issues but I manually and chemically de-weeded, and mowed with deck raised higher. It went from awful to bad. Have a lawn service last year and this year, more help but won't aerate until fall. Hoping this retains moisture in the back. Finally, retired early, have had time to to pursue dead patches with mixed results. I own an electric dethatcher which churned up loads of dead grass and on the hill, it helped churn the soil somewhat. I churned more with a garden weasel (exhausting) then added soil, seed, soil and light watering as we've had rain. Result 3 months in? Still seems bad, but wife walked the yard and put it in perspective, told me it is way better. I'm just impatient. The truly dead areas, one is right next to my front walk (ugh!!) Are going to require a total do over. The soil is shallow here. When they graded after building they should have removed all the gravel and dust because the soil is shallow and if you dig, you immediately hit stones. May have to dig this are out, deepen the soil, then build it up. TIP: I bought a 10" "tamper" that really helped keep replied areas level with the surrounding soil vs. depressions at repair sites. Maybe this will help some northern homeowners. Have a good one.

[@chrisk853]

Love how your puppy looks so proud almost to say “ Yes, I made that spot”😁

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Her dad was the one that made that spot...little weed killer mishap

[@calforman]

Get Rid of the DOG

[@robinsk5644]

Glad the guard dog was close by in case anyone tried to steal some grass seed.

[@DFReuter415]

Thanks Ryan, I am going to go outside and fix my spots this afternoon. I'll get back to you in a few weeks.

[@inkster21]

I am about to start my first seeding/patching as a homeowner from Michigan that lives in Colorado. Go Avs!

[@numunopat5883]

I would have lightly misted the top soil with water before applying the peat moss so you can lock in the moisture.

[@pankos01]

I just used the Scott's starter food for the first time. I'm super impressed with the whole germination cycle. Had a lot of rain and still right at 14 days..blam! Busted those seed pods wide open and the whole edge of the yard swelled with green gold. I've got one last huge spot to get and I'll record it. Just subscribed. Hope I can learn something. 👍

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Great to hear!

[@SRPESQ]

Thank you. Your dogs cameo was great!

[@jojolikescocoa1]

him enjoying the wind in his face got me too

[@keptyeti]

An alternative method is to just throw a bunch of seed on the empty patch, mulch, water and pray.

[@XunknownBrazyX]

😂 love it.

[@danielmann5427]

Seed- peat moss- worm castings -water You will have the greenist grass in all the county.

[@goldenboi24k]

He knows what he’s doin

[@otallono]

@@goldenboi24k so do thousands of other people, just not most people

[@notta3d]

I like your style.

[@RedRose-si8cl]

Thank you, I did my empty spots today

[@anirudhnaig19]

Thank you for teaching about seeding.

[@davidhintz1806]

I used the scotts with the tenacity this year. A number of weeds popped up and I was getting a little irritated, because I figured it had failed. It was a little expensive for failure. By the time I got around to going to treat the weeds, I noticed that you could tell they were actually getting zorched. They were all bleached out within a week and I am happy to report that the stuff even took out some of the grass-like weeds I've been fighting for years.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

David Hintz good to know! thanks for sharing

[@stevenbrown6782]

David Hintz i

[@louisegrummitt5173]

Very helpful, thank you! Thanks also to the dog - made my day!

[@justinsteinley4093]

Excellent tutorial my friend, and of course love your Westie, we have one too and my wife freaked out when he walked on screen lol.

[@mat3714]

Lawn care tips and a min. Wild hat , I'm sold!!

[@benjamingrant4065]

Thank you for taking the time to do this! It's a great video

[@preetgill6690]

Beautiful video. I need to do patch work. Very helpful. God bless. Happy gardening. 🌺🌺🌺🌺👌👍🙏

[@RaduCotescu]

Thanks for the video! I have one question though: how do you manage mowing, given those patches? Do you mow around them until the grass is long enough for its first mow or do you let all the lawn grow for the next 3-5 weeks?

[@HeadCase55]

Yes, mow around them. You want to give the new grass a chance to grow tall. Likely 10-14 days then you can mow normally

[@themoxthemoxthemox]

at 5 mins 12 seconds in...the dog is loving it :D

[@Nasirakbarishegoat]

Thank you for your video i will do my Burned Spot this weekend i am wondering what if i put Mulch instead of eat mass on the top of the seed and soil

[@yourfriendlyneighbor985]

Thanks for the videos, they really help the heck out of a non-lawn guy like me. And now I feel like I'm kinda a lawn guy! If we ever visit where you live I'd love to buy you a beer. Thanks again bro.

[@davidsprauer3312]

This dog is so majestic @ 5:14

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

We definitely miss her

[@jumpsthroughhoops]

Very happy to find this video. I killed my grass last year with some Round Up on purpose but wondered how am I going to remove the dead grass and plant new grass.

[@MsEma0810]

SAME!!!!

[@jorgeferreira574]

Thank you so much. You were so informative, but at the same time straight to the point making it not tedious at all.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Glad I could help!

[@bigscarce4]

5:10 majestic af

[@lainetsolo1208]

Your videos are the best videos ever!!

[@lazylearner967]

Great how to step by step. Love your dog's face enjoying the breeze. Also your sprinkler set up is genius! I am gonna copy that one for sure!

[@lougaru2445]

This channel is so helpful

[@keithcook4537]

Cool season seeds best to fix in fall time. Don’t waste to fix in spring or summer time

[@BUDS228]

Thanks for the tips! While using the dethatching rake I pulled up a section and found grubs😤. No wonder it was dead there. I raked the spot, applied Spectracide, watered that, added topsoil, mixed in the seed, applied Milo, put Peat Moss on top and now watering and praying to the lawn gods. Did a huge section with that manual dethatcher, what a chore! But very satisfying pulling out all that dead grass in the lawn.

[@davidroberts4831]

Hi Ryan I have done gardening for 50 years I know what you are talking about I got quite a lot of Patches on my lawn because of the dry weather we have been having lately we have a we Weston called molly and yes she makes patches like your dog 🐕 then I have to do what you do and it does work you have to give it time like Ryan don’t forget to water 💧 great 👍 video

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

My patches were actually my own error from a sprayer can I used that had some grass and weed killer residual in it even after I rinsed multiple times. But yes dogs can do something similar and it just takes time to repair. Thanks for watching!

[@davidroberts4831]

She is called a westie sorry 😐 about the spelling David

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

We've had 4 westies total. Love those little dogs.

[@cowboy73386]

Subscribed and gave a thumb's up. Really enjoyed it and learned some things too!

[@dang3402]

What’s a good topsoil? Helpful channel. My grass looks great.

[@tontoace7]

I did this with the bare spots in my front yard and it worked.

[@ZussieMakesit]

Yes! I Didi know about the peat moss, thanks!! The birds have eaten my seeds 😠 so bothersome!!! Hope I can finally grow my grass evenly 👍🏼

[@Eddybarrett84]

Hunter rotor nozzle put out 4/10 inch per hour Precipitation rate, with the best distribution of uniformity or (D.U.). Most efficient way to water landscapes.. the gallons per minute is about .5 gpm You need to water your lawn atleast 3 X a week for 60minutes each time. That gives you a total of 1.2 inch of precipitation. THESE HUNTER MP ROTOR NOZZLES HAVE ALMOST NO RUN OFF OR RUN THROUGH.

[@bobbyshort1222]

Ryan. Thanks for your help! I'm currently rehabbing the lot I own next door and I appreciate the info from your vids. Keep it up.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

You're welcome. Glad I could help!

[@pksabastian7896]

Thanks so much for sharing your experience ….

[@sassysilver4451]

Did you do anything to those spots, before you raked over them? As, did you dig them out, or carve them, any kind of preparation before you raked and seeded?

[@dwhitmire3005]

Do you reccomend or have you tested using liquid aeration, vs mechanical aeration? Would love your thoughts. Related to seeding.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

For seeding I still like mechanical

[@dwhitmire3005]

@@ryanknorrlawncare 10-4. Thanks for the feedback, Ryan.

[@grahambaxter4903]

I follow my German Shepherd with a 5L watering can on the back lawn. Every time she does a wee I dilute it with 5L of water. It definitely makes a difference and stops the brown dead spots.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

My little dogs certainly didn't create these spots...operator error on a sprayer by their father :)

[@vict2157]

Do you need to aerate or use fertilizer?

[@anthonycintron5135]

Dog was the best part, sooooo cute

[@MatoCaska]

I appreciate your videos. I used to do Organic Lawn Care and have a good knowledge of this stuff, but you're bringing a youthful approach for a ton of DIY folks out there. Thank you and keep on growing. Just a point of interest, if you don't mind. What I see on YT is a lot of How To, but not a lot of what it looks like down the road. I know it's hard to do with so many videos being made, but what the viewers need is to see the End Product along with the process of how to start. For example, you stated that you were using a different seed type and that it should be good enough and blend in, it would be nice to see what it really looked like for your lawn and how it blended, or not.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

The update is on my channel a few videos after this one

[@mmacejko929]

Nice video and timing. Just repaired two spots in my yard today! Good luck!

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Thanks and same to you!

[@dCoosh]

Looks like your dog really likes those dirt spots, consider keeping one or two for them hehe

[@johncaban4310]

after top soil, apply seed, light rake in, maybe a little more seed then peet moss? Do you apply the starter fertilizer before the peet moss?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Doesn't matter too much before or after but before is fine

[@Mityob67]

pooch shot at 5:11 is the highlight of this vid - thanks Ryan!

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

That was our little Cecilia. Sadly she passed away a few months ago at the age of 13. I always like that part of the video though as a remembrance of her.

[@Mityob67]

Sounds like ya'll gave a great home to a great dog - my condolence brother.

[@ZipchesterVT]

Does anyone have wood fences in Iowa? That lack of privacy would bug the crap out of me. Oh and great vids Ryan. Always learn something new 👍🏼

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

The way the yard sits, a privacy fence wouldn't make a difference because you could see right over it. Thanks for watching!

[@MrEnigmapaul]

Thanks Ryan! The peat moss from my supplier looks a lot more damp than your video. It’s more clumpy and hard to spread as just a dusty topping like you show in the video. I did my best to keep it light but it’s still more like a clumpy and inconsistent layer on top of the seed. Think it will still be ok?

[@paulmifsud5753]

Hey thanks for your videos. I've watched a few now, about to give seeding a shot myself. Appreciate your help.

[@fredlong5277]

In this video you rake the seed after carefully spreading it to consistency. I'm thinking that raking the seed drags and disrupts that work and was wondering if spreading seed followed by putting down the top soil layer would work better.

[@houstonhestla7405]

Last fall I used one of those thatch rakes on my whole front yard. 3000 sq ft. Not recommended by hand. Definetly worth the results though.

[@kevinhill8831]

Thank you. Extremely helpful

[@cengiz246]

Could we use compost or topsoil instead of peat moss?

[@davidroberts5602]

Hi 👋 great 👍 video like the way your 🐕 lies on were you have seeded my dog is the same breed as your two I still have brown patches from her ground is very wet after the rain last week it doesn’t grow as quick in the winter ❄️ does it❤️🇬🇧👍David

[@seanrock433]

Thanks for the tips. If I forgot to pat it down until after I first watered it, am I fine? Rewatched your video and realized I forgot to pat down the seed afterwards. I did it maybe 15 minutes after watering.

[@krisgraham5408]

Very helpful videos Ryan! Thank you from Washington State!

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Thanks for watching!

[@take5DD]

The dog is a nice touch.

[@humairaziauddin5382]

Thank you good video for me I am looking for same thing.

[@qualitytouch]

YOU DA MAN. KEEP IT UP

[@lauralynn13]

When is the best time to seed? I heard the fall was the best time but is summer okay too with lots of shade?

[@djmandolivechicago2844]

I have a question? I notices a few hole's in my lawn( UNDERGROUND) ... (Rabbit/Bird) nests.. what can I use to repel them away... and what can I use to plug them holes so they don't return... thank you

[@petertg1scholes]

Hey Ryan , on my Uk lawn I had a lot of clover grass weed . I mistakenly put to much week killer on the grass weed and now it killed the weed and left large black burnt grass areas . My question is how long until I can put the new grass seed on the damaged area as I guessing the new seed will not germinate on the damaged area until the weed killer has worn off , or do I need to dig out all the black area and start again . Kind Regards

[@ciararespect4296]

Leave it two weeks then apply as shown no need to dig out

[@gonzoGarcia2006]

I live in Southern California, will this work if I do it in jun-July

[@brandonpoulin]

5:12 Your dog is majestic!

[@webeducation]

Do you need sees of your grass has runners? Like St. Augustine grass

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

No seeding of St. Augustine...it will spread

[@webeducation]

@@ryanknorrlawncare Thanks Ryan 👍

[@okielawnguy]

Ryan, I know you are using Timberline Top Soil. I didn’t have much luck with it, so what other bagged top soil would you recommend? Thank you for your time.

[@kturob]

Hey I got a question I got grass to grow in a lot of small areas where it wasn't I reseated my whole entire lawn last year it looks beautiful but there are a couple spots I cannot get the seed to grow I don't understand why my whole entire front one is Sun so it's not anything to do with that there's just certain areas to will not grow at all you have any tips

[@colinrobertson9656]

Ryan you are a proper gentleman for showing me the protocol on lawn spot repairing. My cat passed and I dug him a forever place at base of the garden. Hope it works and thank you so so much dude. 😽💜🙏👌

[@bibi1949]

Is the seed and furtelizer safe for dogs to go out to potty?

[@jonhawkins2374]

Hey Ryan Where did you get the copper riser fitting for the spike / sprinkler head fitting trying not to use plastic risers.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

I use plastic ones

[@Bladeballer57]

Him: Hey let’s fix this patch Comments: omg the dogo 😍

[@Kpops6]

Where did you get the rake? It is not in your equipment link

[@chriswu5917]

Hi Ryan, do you recommend using starter fertilizer? if yes do I spread them after the seeds or after I put down the peat moss? Thanks.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

You can if you wish and it wouldn't matter which order

[@juliesilva5894]

Great starter video for me ,much appreciated 😉

[@AprilShowers777]

😔😔 was hoping I could find Bermuda on your website I leave in Louisiana. I’ve seeded with Scott’s. Could I put cow fertilizer down then put my seeds over it then place straw over the fertilizer

[@bigtexas3077]

Can i use sand dirt mix instead of top soil?

[@valeriek5020]

how do i safely distribute starter fertilizer so as not to burn the seed. thanks.

[@rickwells4829]

What month are we supposed to do this I live in Maryland

[@Zirbip]

I came for the lawn tips but I stayed for the Westies!

[@beowolf19751]

Excellent informative video!

[@denniswoods3909]

Hey Ryan. I've learned so much from watching your videos. Thank you. I live in SE Michigan and my yard has very sandy soil, unlike the great soil in Iowa ( I used to live in Fort Dodge). In late May I followed the procedure laid out in this video closely, including the Scotts starter fertilizer. I watered twice a day, morning and evening and after about 8-12 days I was getting really good results in some areas. However, in other areas I got no germination at all. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. About a month ago we had a really hot, dry spell and even the spots that were doing well started dying. I don't know if I'm not incorporating enough topsoil into the sandy soil? Was watering twice a day not enough due to the sandy soil? Can you put too much fertilizer on? Can you put too much peat moss on top? Any ideas?

[@jscmoto46]

You can cheat & pre-germinate by adding seed to hot water, not boiling, then sow. Theres a KZbin video on here. Kinda like getting corn to sprout before you mash in, if that's lost on you it's a distilling (i.e. moonshine) term.

[@livenfree]

Kind of sounds like maybe they dried out. U Put some kind of mulch down, did you?

[@TheCookster64]

I cannot say enpugh about using peat moss to cover grass seed. The water retention makes it all work.

[@lucyshenning5987]

Hey Ryan you’re the king of lawn care. I have a question. I got my lawn looking killer this year but I do have a few weeds/dandelions. Do you know of a product that I can spray directly on them to kill them, without harming my grass? I would like to go after them direct spraying a chemical directly on them. Than afterwards I would use a pre preventative weed control

[@DarkFidelity]

I have really good luck with using Spectracide "Weed Stop for Lawns + Grabgrass killer". It works for most grass types (check the label) and won't harm it. Knocks the weeds out in a couple days. I apply it to my entire lawn and then come back a couple weeks later and spot treat the stuff that managed to survive.

[@elmalloc]

Just dig them up with a hand trowel, your grass will grow right back in its spot.

[@JosephBattley1]

Can you still mow over spots or avoid ?

[@Rojast07]

@ryanknorrlawncare did you add starter fertilizer to those bare spots on top of the seed/peat moss? I saw another over seeding video of yours where you sprayed liquid fertilizer first, then seeded, then added your peat moss last.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

You can certainly add starter if you wish

[@Rojast07]

@@ryanknorrlawncarethanks! 😊

[@Pepe_Lotudo]

Do you recommend doing this technique on areas where the grass is thin out?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Where it's thin I would probably overseed instead. Aeration and overseeding works well together and I have videos on both of those on my channel if you're interested.

[@Pepe_Lotudo]

Ryan Knorr Lawn Care awesome! thanks for the reply really appreciate it.

[@Vysion3434]

Thanks for sharing your videos Ryan.

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

Thanks for watching!

[@Godikin]

Does putting peat moss down promote peat moss growing and eventually overtaking the lawn?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

No

[@gonzo2.0]

Mad raking skills

[@carlstrom3898]

What kind of rake is that you are using

[@dereksand3130]

Do you need to use peat moss on top or can you lightly sprinkle more top soil?

[@jared2245]

Ryan, how do you prevent your dog from ruining the recently repaired spot?

[@redwing634]

Where can you get bags of quality topsoil? Home Depot and Lowes bags always seem to be filled with rocks and sticks, etc.

[@DEEPerthantheCUT]

Do this anytime? Or fall or early spring

[@davidmatias6239]

Can You still seed the bare spots the way you did on this video if a pre-emergent was applied a few weeks ago ?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

With adding soil there's a chance you could get by with it but try to break the barrier by raking the soil as well

[@davidmatias6239]

Ryan Knorr Lawn Care thanks for the good info. Be safe out there 🙏🏼

[@trippinbillies41]

Hi Ryan! I killed off a few patches of poa triv with round up. It's been a little over a week and it's definitely all dead, but a thatch rake isn't clearing all of it out. Do you have a recommended method of completely clearing those spots so I can follow the instructions from this video for replanting?

[@ryanknorrlawncare]

String trimmer