Repair damaged lawns as bare patches become more visible – often the legacy of a punishing, soggy winter. Lawn seed sown now germinates quickly as the weather warms, so it’s a great time to put things right.
Damaged lawn
Skim off the damaged patches of turf, then fork over the area to a depth of about 8cm. Break up and clods with the back of a fork until the soil has a fine, even texture. Improve the soil by adding some compost, then choose your lawn seed: you’ll find easy-to-use patch and repair kits at the garden centre here in Athlone which include a feed to boost growth, too. Pick a hard-wearing mix for a lawn that gets a lot of use, a shade-tolerant blend for areas that don’t get much sun, or finer grasses for that bowling-green finish.
Care for your lawn
Sprinkle the seed at about two fistfuls of seed per square metre, then water in gently. Make sure the ground doesn’t dry out after sowing and lay a few twiggy sticks on the surface to keep away cats and birds. Look after your new grass carefully and by midsummer it will have blended invisibly into the rest of the lawn as if that bare patch had never been there.
