How to top dress a Rye or Fescue seed lawn

Generally speaking top dressing a seed lawn like Rye or Fescue is not recommended (unless is is only a small amount).  Because these grasses are not running lawns they will not be able to grow through or into, the top dressed areas.  The only way to fix dips in these lawns is to re-seed or replant these spots.  Of course you will need to fill the dips first.  If you already have grass growing in these dips then dig out the area of grass, back fill with a good top dress and replant the lawn on top.  Alternatively dig out the spot, fill with top dress and then seed the area again.   

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How to repair dead spots in Buffalo lawns

You can easily repair dead spots in Sir Walter, Palmetto and Shade Master buffalo lawns.  The first question to ask is why the dead spot developed ?   Was it a fungus, did someone dump fertiliser or other substance on the spot, or did a dog do the damage.  Eitherway it is probably best to remove the soil from the spot the grass died and replace it with improved soil.   It will then be a case of finding replacement lawn.  You can do this a number of ways.  Firstly you can buy some roll-on lawn or some runners to repair the spot.  Or you can dig up some grass from your present lawn and plant it.  The best way to do this is to get a square mouth spade and cut out a number of plugs of lawn from areas which are growing well.   Replace some soil into the holes that have developed, they will cover over in time.  Take the plugs of grass and plant them in the area to be repaired.  Try and position them so they are level with the lawn around.  Water well and add a little fertiliser and the plugs will grow out and repair the area.

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How to repair dead spots in Rye, Fesue lawn grass

Because both Tall Fescue and Perennial Rye grass are tufting lawns and not running lawns you will need to take a different approach to repairing dead spots compared with other lawn types.  Basically Tall Fescue and Rye will not spread naturally into open soil areas, as a result there are two ways to repair dead areas.  1.  Is to dig out the dead grass and soil, replace with improved soil and seed the area again.  Seed will start to grow up in around two weeks time.  2.  The second way is to dig up some lawn from another part of the lawn where it is not needed and plant it.  You can usually find sections to dig from along the edge of gardens that can be removed.   Plant the plugs of turf at the same height as the rest of the lawn.  

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A cheap way to grow & improve a rough sparse lawn

If you have a rough looking lawn and you do not mind what grass variety it is, there are ways to improve it.  Many people have mixed lawn varieties.  These could be a mixture of Rye and Fescue, Buffalo and Kikuyu or any other combination.  Most times the reason these lawns are not looking good is to to with the climate and soil type they are growing in.   So, if you can improve your soil this is the starting point. 

It could be a lack of nutirents that is the problem, then you will have to use a good granular NPK fertiliser and give it a number of treatments over the growing season.  If this still does not solve the problem, then you will have to look at adding some grass varieties which are more suited to the situation.  The cheapest way to do this is to over sow in winter or in early spring with a seed lawn variety (in cold areas best to do this in late spring).   This is done at the time of year when there is the right amount of moisture (rainfall) and adeqate warmth to germinate the seed.  You can purchase seed mixtures which are right for the job at most nurseries and hardware stores.  Irrigate your lawn seed every day, or second day if no rainfall occurs, this will assist the seed in germination.

Over sowing your lawn is an easy way to fill sparse areas in the lawn, each region has different lawn seed varieties which will be suitable.  However, generally they are a combination of Rye grass,  Tall Fescue and Bermunda grass (seed Couch grass).  At the right time of year these will just germinate on the surface of the ground.  Of course you will lose a percentage of the seed to ants etc but you will still get a result.  It will take around two weeks in the right conditions for the seed to germinate.

It can be difficult to estimate how much seed to spread.  The seed packet will give you a rate per square metre.  One way to make the process easier is to add some granular fertiliser to the seed before broadcasting it.  If you work at the rate of 40 grams of granular fertiliser per square metre and add your seed to the amount required for your lawn area, you will have a good vector to assist in spreading the seed.   The germinating seed will then have good nutrients and grow quickly.   There are fertilisers especially blended for such purposes, with band names such as "new lawn" fertiliser, or "lawn starter" fertiliser.   Once your lawn has started to grow do not mow it for at least three weeks, give it a chance to develop good roots.    Fertilise a second time later in the growing season to give strength to your new lawn. 

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