The Grass Doctor

How can I fix grass growing in patches in my lawn ?

Hi ! I planted grass seeds in my lawn about 3 weeks ago and I see the grass growing but it is growing in patches. There are areas where the blades are almost 6" long and the grass is also thick but there are bare areas with no growth. I raked those areas yesterday and planted more seeds there and then covered with the raked soil (about 1/2" thick). Should that do it ? I have been watering the lawn twice every day (morning and evening) keeping the soil moist. When the first time I planted the seeds, I added fertilizer to the soil (mixed with soil and then layed it out, spread seeds and covered with more soil). Could too much fertilizer have been bad ? Anything else I could do for a uniform growth ? And how does the grass become thick ? At the beginning it appears to be growing far from each other. Lastly, this is in the bay area in California. Thanks for your help!

Public Comments

1. Take the lawn clippings everytime you mow the lawn and put them in that spot.Yeah you are probably using too much fertilizer.
2. a good lawn takes a long time, unless you sod. once you plant grass and it takes you are done for the season. just keep cutting it like normal and it will thin itsself out. meanwhile try to plant uniformly with a spreader.
3. Look at the lighting conditions. Hotter, faster, Cooler, slower. Also when you buy a bag of grass seed it is not all the same seed. Blue grass takes longer to germinate than rye. So you could also see a difference there too. More than likely it will blend but give it some time. Remember top cut it high so it is not stressed while it is young. Try not to rake the grass the roots will get damaged and you will have to work with it more. Different types of Grass are different thicknesses.
4. My advice is this... where you currently have bare spots, rake to loosen the soil and then broadcast some mulch/potting mix over those areas (the mulch/potting mix will keep the soil moist a little longer). After you've done this, broadcast the seed again and then go over the seed with a roller to insure you've placed the grass seed in contact slightly into the soil. Grass seed will germinate as long as you have it in contact with the soil. The other thing you should check is to make sure you have proper coverage with your sprinklers. You need to keep the soil moist constantly for an entire week to insure proper seed germination. I'd water 3 to 4 times a day for the first week after broadcasting the grass seeds. Don't mow or fertilize for a month.