I just purchased my first home a week ago in the KC, MO area and now that all the snow is melted I can finally see the grass. Do you guys think these patches will fill in themselves or what can I do to help my yard reach its potential?
by Lost-Arm-1720
3 Comments
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Those patches aren’t going to fill in on their own. In Kansas City clay that kind of bare soil usually screams compaction or shade issues, so you are likely looking at a core aeration and heavy overseeding with a tall fescue blend this spring just to get a baseline. If those trees in the back cast deep shade during the summer you are fighting a losing battle trying to force grass to grow all the way to the fence.
Instead of trying to carpet the entire rectangle consider giving the yard some actual structure. Define a smaller functional lawn area in the center and turn the perimeter into sweeping mulch beds with native shrubs to hide that bare soil. It cuts down on mowing and solves the mud problem where grass struggles anyway. I usually tell homeowners to throw a photo like this into GardenDream to map out those bed lines first. It helps you visualize where the grass should stop and the mulch should start so you don’t waste money seeding areas that are destined to fail.
Maybe start with a soil sample.
Try taking a spade in a few places to see what the soil looks like call 811 to locate utilities before don’t want to hit a gas line or cut out your internet.
It’s compaction or too much shade possibly they had pets that wore it down.
Seed it early April if you want to get something started. You can frost seed but no guarantees.
You’ll probably have to spend a few hundred on seed