Had 2 massive mud pits on a gentle slope in the backyard. I laid down a layer of top soil over the pits to try and level it out and raked in seed. What are your thoughts on my strategy? Was the top soil a good move? Do you think it was unnecessary, or even counterproductive? I’d love to have a successful restoration on this section of my lawn and greatly value your input! Thanks!
by ApprehensiveKiwi4061
7 Comments
Late summer/early fall is the best time to seed cool season lawns.
Regardless, if you are you looking for information about how to overseed a cool season lawn. You can find a comprehensive guide [in this post here.](https://www.reddit.com/r/lawncare/s/pUsKCxyvwQ)
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/lawncare) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I pretty much did the same strategy last year with lawn soil and it turned out great. Just don’t forget to water three times a day for three weeks.
When you grow anything from seed, if it stays wet all the time, then it has a high chance of getting something called “damping off” which will kill it. If it survives germination, then it will be a matter of time before root rot sets in. The drainage issues with your mud pits need to be fixed before anything will grow there successfully.
Good job keep it moist not soaking wet until full germination
Throw down some straw on top to keep birds out and keep it moist. Otherwise, that’s my annual strategy for repairing spots that develop and it always works for me.
Any live grass below that dirt will die. Just know that. The dirt covering will help protect your new seeds from birds and will maximize soil to seed contact. Great move. You should have a net positive effect tho. Id spray mesotrione to fight the weeds, especially if you used regular top soil, which can have weeds in it.
My experience in a dry environment: you need to keep the dirt about 50% more moist than you think you do, and not a single one of those seeds that is visible is going to sprout. I try to keep a thin (1/4″) layer of dirt over all seeds, or cover with peat moss.