Get your grass growing again with Jill of All Trades

(FOX 2) - Once Spring has sprung, a lot of us head out into the yard and discover that not all of the lawn survived the winter. If you've got bare spots that need some attention, our Jill of All Trades, Jill Washburn, shows us how to treat it and seed it to get the grass growing once again.

First, Jill says, determine what kind of seed you need. Is your lawn sunny, shady, or a little bit of both? The lawn Jill was treating got some sun and shade at different points of the day, so Jill used seed that was a sun/shade mix.

Jill says that you probably want to take a rake and rough up the soil a little bit, especially if it's been compacted over the winter by things like heavy mounds of snow, or car tires that have rolled over it. Breaking it up or roughing it up a little makes it easier for tender young roots to grow into. 

Next, Jill spreads a little topsoil over the bare spot.  It'll give the seed a rich environment to nestle into and germinate.

Now for the seed. 

Jill gave a heavy sprinkle of seed over the area, and then mixed it into the topsoil. You don't have to bury the seed. In fact, it's best not to. If it's too covered up, it might not germinate.  

Once you've got the seed down, mix in a little extra topsoil to help keep the seed in place. Try to make sure you seed is distributed fairly evenly. If the soil is dry, or it's a dry day, you should give it a light sprinkle of water before you put the straw down. If the soil is already moist, or it's a damp day, or rain is on the horizon, you're ready for straw.  

Put a light layer of straw over the spot you've seeded. The goal is just to protect the seed from loss due to wind, heavy rain, or birds, etc. Jill says that you should expect some seed loss, which is why she seeds a little heavier than recommended.

***NOTE*** Jill says, whatever you do, do not use fertilizer on the seed or on the young grass. If you fertilize before the grass is mature, it will burn the grass and kill it. Then, says Jill, you're back at square one.

PROJECT RATING:  Easy

To watch Jill repair a lawn's bare spot, click on the video player above.