How to Fix a Dead Lawn by Overseeding | Ask This Old House

In this video, when a browning lawn started to stress out a homeowner, she called the team at Ask This Old House for help. Landscape contractor Lee Gilliam's answer was aeration and overseeding. Here’s how it went. SUBSCRIBE to This Old House: http://bit.ly/SubscribeThisOldHouse. Dry, brown spots don’t just stress lawns—they also stress homeowners. Especially when they put a lot of effort into their lawn and landscaping. When a homeowner’s yard started turning brown, they called landscaping contractor Lee Gilliam for help. The solution? Aeration and overseeding. Looking for more step by step guidance on how to complete projects around the house? Join This Old House Insider to stream over 1,000 episodes commercial-free: https://bit.ly/2GPiYbH Plus, download our FREE app for full-episode streaming to your connected TV, phone or tablet: https://www.thisoldhouse.com/pages/st... Where to find it? Start by inspecting the lawn and making note of problem areas. Lee suggests using compost to level out any noticeable high or low area in the yard. To prepare the lawn to receive nutrients and grass seed use a core aeration machine [https://homedepot.sjv.io/9LOAaE] or a tow behind aerator [https://homedepot.sjv.io/e1gqPX], which remove pieces of soil and opens up the compacted soil. Lee suggests aerating from left to right and top to bottom for maximum coverage. Next cast an even layer of organic compost using a wheelbarrow [https://homedepot.sjv.io/0ZaWz3] and shovels [https://homedepot.sjv.io/MmW4Bq]. Use the backside of a metal rake [https://homedepot.sjv.io/1rO1dR] to even out the layer of compost. Use a broadcast spreader [https://homedepot.sjv.io/g1E6X5] to evenly distribute a layer of starter fertilizer. Be sure to check the casting settings to be sure the starter fertilizer [https://homedepot.sjv.io/qzZEDb] doesn’t land in a flower bed or on other plantings. Use gardening gloves to protect your hands while handling the starter fertilizer. You can spread grass seed by hand or using a broadcast spreader. Lee recommends spreading grass by hand along the perimeter of the lawn. Lee selected a Kentucky 31 Tall Fescue [https://homedepot.sjv.io/PO4r0j] and Kentucky bluegrass seed [https://homedepot.sjv.io/bO2D3g]. This will keep grass from growing in spots where you don’t want it to. Top dress your lawn with a layer of peat moss. This will act as an incubator. Lee uses the peat moss as an indicator of when to water the lawn. If the peat moss is dark maroon, it is holding moisture. If the peat moss is a dry light maroon color, then it is time to water the lawn. Lee recommends watering twice a day for the first 7-10 days and once a day following the 10 day period. About Ask This Old House TV: From the makers of This Old House, America’s first and most trusted home improvement show, Ask This Old House answers the steady stream of home improvement questions asked by viewers across the United States. Covering topics from landscaping to electrical to HVAC and plumbing to painting and more. Ask This Old House features the experts from This Old House, including general contractor Tom Silva, plumbing and heating expert Richard Trethewey, landscape contractor Jenn Nawada, master carpenter Norm Abram, and host Kevin O’Connor. ASK This Old House helps you protect and preserve your greatest investment—your home. Follow This Old House: Facebook: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseFB Twitter: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseTwitter Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHousePinterest Instagram: http://bit.ly/ThisOldHouseIG How to Fix a Dead Lawn by Overseeding | Ask This Old House    / thisoldhouse