# Grubs left patchy bare spots in my lawn



## Mr. Equator (Aug 31, 2010)

You're good to seed now. What I would do is scrap up the old dead grass with a sod knife or garden trowel, and throw down some patch repairer. Keep it wet, and don't cut the lawn for 10 or so days. You should see results soon.:thumbsup:


----------



## Handy Vinny (Jun 18, 2010)

Mr. Equator said:


> You're good to seed now. What I would do is scrap up the old dead grass with a sod knife or garden trowel, and throw down some patch repairer. Keep it wet, and don't cut the lawn for 10 or so days. You should see results soon.:thumbsup:


Wait a minute—don’t listen to Mr. Equator! :furious:

Look, I am not a fan of those patch repair kits. 

For one, a lot of them contain a really hardy fescue that closely resembles crabgrass. This year was terrible for crabgrass, and next year is probably going to be even worse. If you are having problems now, why on earth would you knowingly put yourself in a position where you are not going to be happy with the end results? 

I do not know much, but I can answer any question about lawns and most questions about flooring. 

1.	I always advise my clients to rake out (not "scrape up" -- LOL! ) dead grass. Use a metal rake. 

2.	Mildly agitate up the ground with the rake so you are not working with a completely flat surface. That is, you want cracks and crevices. 

3.	Apply a starter fertilizer. 

4.	Sow the grass seed, which you should purchase from a garden and feed store. The professionals there will give you a particular seed mix based on many variables (e.g., sunlight, slope, etc.). 

5.	Cover the seeded areas with a thin layer of peat moss. Keep it damp. If there was ryegrass in the mix, you should start seeing results within 10-days. 

If you seed sometime soon, the rest of the bare spots should be filled in before the first frost.


----------



## Mr. Equator (Aug 31, 2010)

Vinny,

I misread the question. I read "huge bare spots" as "bare spots." 

Still- patch repair kits have never posed a problem for me. I realize that you're the pro who knows all about the different "fescues," but I still think patch repair kits would work for larger patches. Not everyone is interested--nor does everyone have the time or ability--to do what you have recommended.


----------



## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

As a Master Gardener and Certified Landscape Professional, I don't see a significant problem with either of the plans suggested.
A. Remove the dead grass.
B. Prep the soil to whatever degree you are comfortable with.
C. Sow and keep moist.
The end result will be commensurate with the effort put into the job but I can't carte blanche condemn a "patch mix" or by whatever method one chooses to remove the dead grass, whether by trowel, rake, dethatcher, verticutter and vacuum, rototiller, or what.

I do wonder:


> For one, a lot of them contain a really hardy fescue that closely resembles crabgrass. This year was terrible for crabgrass, and next year is probably going to be even worse. If you are having problems now, why on earth would you knowingly put yourself in a position where you are not going to be happy with the end results?


How does one make the connection between fescue that closely resembles crabgrass and a year being bad for crabgrass?
I guess "happy" means different things to different people.



> I do not know much, but I can answer any question about lawns


Actually the University of Georgia thinks I know a pretty good bit, but I wouldn't tell anyone that I could answer any question.


----------



## Mr. Equator (Aug 31, 2010)

Handy Vinny said:


> I do not know much, but I can answer any question about lawns and most questions about flooring.


About flooring? Really? No offense, but I just read something about tiling over carpeting. :no:

That seems to be flooring 101 ... maybe "common sense 101."


----------



## Handy Vinny (Jun 18, 2010)

downunder said:


> As a Master Gardener and Certified Landscape Professional, I don't see a significant problem with either of the plans suggested.
> A. Remove the dead grass.
> B. Prep the soil to whatever degree you are comfortable with.
> C. Sow and keep moist.
> ...


I respect the fact that the University of Georgia considers you to be very knowledgeable about lawns. Judging from your comments here, it is clear, sir, that you are not someone to be trifled with. You are obviously an authority on the situation, and I have great respect and admiration for that. (Thank you, by the way, for acknowledging that the course of action that I recommended would be an acceptable approach. But please be advised that in my opinion, it is the only acceptable approach, but that is neither here nor there.)

I would like to assure you (and the concerned party who began this thread) that I can, indeed, answer any questions about lawns. Look, I am not interested in getting in to a battle of wits or competition with anyone, but let me share a little story that might change your mind:

My next door neighbor, Dale, decided early this spring that he wanted to improve his lawn, which was already respectable, in my opinion. (I suspect that he wanted to compete with me since I have the nicest lawn within a 5-mile radius.) Instead of consulting with me, Dale chose to be hard-headed and enlist the help of the "technicians" from various lawn care services in my area. While I would have recommended a traditional, conservative approach to developing a lawn, Dale proceeded to inundate his lawn with various liquid and granular fertilizers, and because the chemical burden was far too much for the lawn to tolerate, he burnt it to a brittle, white crisp. Now, not only is he back at square-1, but Dale has to deal with the unintended consequence of having earned his neighbors' wrath. 

You see, some of Dale's neighbors are disgusted with the appearance of his lawn and are concerned that it is going to affect their property values. Instead of consulting with an authority like me, Dale chose to embarrass himself and his family by vandalizing his property, thus alienating himself from the rest of the neighborhood, which he does not give a crap about, apparently. How unfortunate for Dale that a police cruiser has been passing down our street far more often since these events took place on the weekend of August 13th-15th.


----------



## Mr. Equator (Aug 31, 2010)

Handy Vinny said:


> Look, I am not interested in getting in to a battle of wits or competition with anyone, but let me share a little story that might change your mind:
> 
> My next door neighbor, Dale, decided early this spring that he wanted to improve his lawn, which was already respectable, in my opinion. (I suspect that he wanted to compete with me since I have the nicest lawn within a 5-mile radius.) Instead of consulting with me, Dale chose to be hard-headed and enlist the help of the "technicians" from various lawn care services in my area. While I would have recommended a traditional, conservative approach to developing a lawn, Dale proceeded to inundate his lawn with various liquid and granular fertilizers, and because the chemical burden was far too much for the lawn to tolerate, he burnt it to a brittle, white crisp. Now, not only is he back at square-1, but Dale has to deal with the unintended consequence of having earned his neighbors' wrath.
> 
> You see, some of Dale's neighbors are disgusted with the appearance of his lawn and are concerned that it is going to affect their property values. Instead of consulting with an authority like me, Dale chose to embarrass himself and his family by vandalizing his property, thus alienating himself from the rest of the neighborhood, which he does not give a crap about, apparently. *How unfortunate for Dale that a police cruiser has been passing down our street far more often since these events took place on the weekend of August 13th-15th.*


Are you telling us that the police got involved in this situation where your neighbor burned his own lawn? I don't believe that for a second. If the police are driving down your street more, maybe they are keeping an eye on you.


----------



## downunder (Jun 13, 2008)

When did this get to be a mental health forum?


----------



## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

It's not


----------

