If You Need to Patch Lawn Gaps, Try This Toilet Paper Hack

When the snow thaws after a long winter, it’s time to weed, aerate and clean up your lawn. One common early spring complaint? A brown, spotty, half-dead lawn from all that water. Well, lucky for us, there is a simple, affordable hack to reseed dead grass patches. In this article, we’ll walk you through the entire process, so your lawn will be greener than ever in no time. With just a few household items and a quick trip to the garden center, you can start reviving your grass the same day. No fancy tools or professional help needed—just a little effort and this easy DIY trick.

What Do I Need to Reseed Dead Grass Patches on My Lawn?

All you need to reseed the dead grass patches in your lawn is toilet paper, grass seed and water. For the toilet paper, you’ll want to use an untreated, natural variety that will biodegrade easily. Look for toilet papers that are marked as specifically friendly for RVs or septic tanks, or bamboo varieties.

How to Reseed Dead Grass Patches Using Toilet Paper

Now, it’s time to make the grass-patching mixture. In a large bowl, mix the grass seeds with enough water to make a slurry. Then, add enough toilet paper so that you create a sludgy mixture, much like paper-mâché. Finally, apply the toilet paper-grass seed mixture to the dead patches in your lawn. Use a layer about an inch thick to give the seeds a chance to sprout. Now, just wait! Grass will begin to sprout after seven days.

What Are Some Benefits and Drawbacks to the Toilet Paper Grass Seed Hack?

The biggest benefit to using toilet paper is that it’s cheap, easy and quick. Additionally, the toilet paper will protect the grass seeds from scavenging birds and keep them suitably moist. If you’re concerned about the unsightliness of the toilet paper, you can try dying the mixture green with food coloring to less the visual impact.

What Are Some Alternative Lawn Covers?

If you’d like a greener lawn in all senses of the word, be sure to check out these eco-friendly lawn alternatives. You can also try these drought-friendly alternatives and these super-easy varieties. We also love no-mow grass, clover grass, moss grass and succulent yards.

FAQ

What should I do if the patched area doesn’t grow?

Try applying the seed/toilet paper slurry again. Before you do, remove the first application, remove any dead grass and scratch the soil with a rake to open up the surface. Then apply a second grass seed/toilet paper slurry and water daily for several weeks.

How can I prevent gaps from forming in the future?

Dead grass patches are usually caused by pet urine, over or underwatering and pests. Soak pet urine spots with water to prevent yellowing or dead grass, apply proper water amounts to your lawn and keep it well-fertilized to ward off grubs and pests.