Alan Titchmarsh has shared an ‘easy’ method to fix bald patches in the lawn. The gardening expert’s two minute hack will have your grass looking green in no time
Lawns can take a real hit during the winter, especially if they’ve been trampled on in frosty weather. This often results in bald or brown spots that are both annoying and unsightly.
In a previous video for Waitrose and Partners, gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh revealed his top tips for sprucing up garden lawns with what he describes as an “easy” technique.
While reseeding is the go-to fix for bare patches on lawns, it requires time, patience, and care. Plus, the soil temperature has to be just right for the roots to take hold.
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But Alan proposes a simpler alternative that he says is “much easier”, reports the Express.
He said: “If you get bare patches in the middle of your lawn – where the goal mouth is or where you’ve been hanging out the washing or a place that’s regularly trodden over and just worn out – then you can of course just prick it over with a fork and reseed it.
“But in the middle of summer, the grass may take a while to grow and look unsightly. It’s much easier to replace it with a piece of turf – but how do you do it so the turf fits perfectly?”
Alan’s advice for gardeners is to use a piece of turf that’s bigger than the patch you want to cover, lay it on top, and then cut a shape from the centre.
He instructed: “You know this is going to be larger than that bare patch underneath. Cut right through this turf and through the grass below.”
After cutting, Alan removed the excess grass, leaving behind the neatly cut patch. While working on the garden, Alan skilfully sliced a neat section out of the lawn. He then lifted this neatly cut piece from its original spot.
To ensure the new patch blends seamlessly with the existing lawn, Alan recommends borrowing a piece of turf from another part of your garden.
Alan mentioned that this is particularly handy when you’re creating a new border. “That’s great for patching because it’s exactly the same turf,” he explained.
Opting for fresh turf might mean a slight mismatch at first, but over time it will “meld in” and the difference will become imperceptible.
The key next step is to level it correctly. After laying the new turf, Alan watered it thoroughly and suggested keeping foot traffic to a minimum while it settles.
The green-fingered guru also said: “With a little nip and a tuck you can stop it looking like the aftermath of a pop festival and turn it into something rather more refined.”
Alan managed to complete the entire process in under two minutes, leaving the lawn looking significantly better.
