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overseeding and reseeding bare patches

miketang86miketang86 Posts: 3
in Problem solving

Hi guys, I am looking for some advice, I have this 80m2 lawn, with a dog. I have dethatched and aerated and fertilised. I still need to take off some of those yellow patches.

I am planning on overseeding and top dress it with 70/30 sand and soil.

1. With those big patches, is it better to to use just top soil to reseed it? 
2. What is better 70/30 mix or just topsoil to top dress a lawn?
3. Also I have worked out I need 600kg of topdressing for this lawn! Is that correct??
4. Do you guys topdress before or after overseeding and then mix it in?

NB. getting rid of the dog...i can't do. I will be setting up a barrier so the dog can't go on the lawn during this time.

I live i north east england

Any advice is much appreciated!

Thank you


Posts

  • BloodyNoraBloodyNora Posts: 75
    I'm by no means an expert - more an accidental gardener! As you can see our garden was worse than yours!

    I loosened the soil, put a preseed Fertiliser a few weeks before topsoil (nothing special) to level, then l seeded finishing with a thin layer of topsoil. I was amazed by the quality of grass seed I got. Oh and guard from birds!!

    Still some smaller patches to do.


  • miketang86miketang86 Posts: 3
    wow! that looks great! did you use just some bog standard top soil, like the stuff from wickes?
  • BloodyNoraBloodyNora Posts: 75
    Yes it was just regular topsoil from what I remember.  It's the quality of seeds that will make a difference too. 
  • miketang86miketang86 Posts: 3
    thanks, you have been a massive help, I was definitely over thinking and over researching this way too hard.
  • BloodyNoraBloodyNora Posts: 75
    No problem and I did a of a lot of research too! Good luck!
  • Dave HumbyDave Humby HampshirePosts: 1,142
    Mike, regular topsoil will be fine unless you are looking for a bowling green and / or have drainage issues in which case a dedicated top dressing blend might be needed.

    As for the bare patches, it they are from the dog there is not much to do unless you can train him / her to pee elsewhere. You could extend your gravel border in a corner for example. If you do see the dog doing it's business then a watering can is your friend and will dilute so you don't get the burn but of course you can't always be there to witness the heinous act! 

    My 'solution' is that I grow replacement 'turf' in a seed tray, well two seed trays. Then I just cut out the brown area and replacement with a section of new turf from the tray which I then top-up and re-seed and keep that cycle going. It's a bit of a pain but it's an instant fix and if you use the same brand of grass seen it blends in seemlessly.

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