You finally have a thriving and thick lawn, just as you wanted. Then suddenly, you notice the appearance of bare spots. It’s frustrating, right? But what do you do? You might be asking; Will grass fill bare spots on its own?” How do I fix these bare spots? In this article, you’ll learn more about your lawn’s bare spots and whether grass can fill them naturally and eventually become thick and full. Besides, I’ll also talk in detail about how to get grass to grow in bare spots
Whether grass can fill in bare spots on its own depends on the causes and the type of grass. Grass with rhizomes or Stolon spreads laterally and fills bare spots. However, clump-forming grasses don’t broaden to fill the bald patches naturally. Also, the grass won’t fill bare spots caused by pests and diseases.
Causes Of Bare Spots on A Lawn
Generally, bare spots in your lawn are dead patches or scars. They only appear with a good reason. In most cases, what causes these spots determines the cure. So, you must know the cause before establishing the repair method.
In some cases, the grass will fill in spots on its own, and in others, you’ll need to fix it manually.
Grass bare spots causes include;
- Pests and lawn diseases
- Over-fertilizing some areas
- Pet waste, especially dog poo, and pee
- Spilling gas in some spots
- Barbecuing
- Running and jumping over grass
- Scratching and digging the grass by animals and kids
Will Grass Fill in Bare Spots on Its Own?
Whether grass will fill in bare spots depends on the causes of these patches and the type of grass. For instance, lawn diseases such as Brown Patches, Pythium Blight, Large Patches, and Summer Patch may attack your grass. In this case, the grass won’t spread to fill the spots by itself.
To fix the lawn, spray the area with preventative treatment, then plant new grass. As for running and jumping over the grass by kids, the grass can fill the patches naturally.
Additionally, there are types of grasses that do spread and repair bare spots by themselves. These include turf with under-ground runners or rhizomes and ones with above-ground runners or Stolon. However, for clump-forming grasses, you must fill the bare spots manually.
The grasses with rhizomes and Stolon include Bermuda, Kentucky Bluegrass, Zoysia, St. Augustine, Red Fescue, and Centipede grass. The clump-forming grasses include Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Chewings Fescue.
How to Fix Bare Spots in Your Grass
Do these three things to fix bare spots in your grass:
- Determine the cause and establish a long-lasting solution.
- Rototill and aerate the affected area.
- Overseed and water the area to allow the germination of healthy grass.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: Can grass spread on its own?
A: This depends on the grass you have in your yard. Turf with rhizomes and Stolon spread quickly, while the clump-forming grasses don’t.
Q: How long does it take for grass to fill in?
A: After sowing, most grass seed types take 8–10 days to germinate. The turf will be complete without bare patches across the lawn in about 6–8 weeks.
Final Thoughts
The type of grass and the cause of bare spots in your lawn determine whether the grass will fill in naturally. Turf with rhizomes and Stolon like Bermuda, St. Augustine, Zoysia, and Red Fescue can fill independently. On the other hand, clump-forming grasses like Tall Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and Chewings Fescue don’t spread.
Also, bare spots caused by lawn diseases don’t heal themselves without treatment. Therefore, the grass will not fill these patches naturally.
