When is the best time to repair your lawn – autumn or spring?

You might be staring at your shabby grass wondering when is the best time to repair the lawn? There are some differences of opinion. But, generally, success depends on how warm the ground is, plus how clement the weather decides to be afterward. Is spring, summer or autumn a more reliable time to repair your lawn; and when is laying turf the better option? 

Suggesting jobs in the garden for September on an episode of Gardeners’ World, presenter Adam Frost showed viewers how he reseeds patches that have developed in his lawn over the summer. 

“If your lawn has developed the odd bare patch here and there, September is a good time to repair it, while the soil is still warm,” he explains. “Simply remove the dead turf [Frost breaks this up with a hand fork], along with any stones and weeds, and work in some fresh soil or compost. Sprinkle the grass seed over the top, taking care not to spread it too thickly, and then water it in.” 

While we agree that September soil does incubate the summer’s heat, repairing lawn with seed at this time of year can still be a little risky due to the cooling temperatures. That’s why we think there’s another season that’s a better time to repair lawn with seed. 

Unpredictable autumn weather could dash your hopes of patching up a summer-scorched lawn if it becomes too cold or wet. It won’t give your grass seeds the chance to germinate. That’s why spring is known as one of the best times to repair your lawn with seed, as the weather is headed on a more predictable and warmer trajectory.   

“If we are lucky and have a warm autumn, then it is possible to use this window of opportunity to reseed areas of the lawn,” explains Saga Exceptional’s gardening editor Simon Akeroyd (who’s penned two books on perfecting your lawn). 

“However, if it turns wet or cold then there is a chance some of the grass seeds won’t germinate. Instead, I prefer to patch over the bare areas of my lawn with turf at this time of year. Or wait until it has warmed up in mid-spring for repairing lawns with seed, as you should have a longer period for it to grow.” 

Should your patchy lawn really be getting you down as summer bows out, you may wish to use small pieces of turf to cover any bare areas. Repairing your lawn this way may give it a better chance of surviving the winter. The RHS has some guidelines on its website for laying turf correctly.  

The same can be said for larger grass reseeding projects, which will be more successful if undertaken in spring, when the seeds will have a better chance of germination.  

We have more tips on planting grass seed successfully – with an easy trick from Alan Titchmarsh on repairing damaged edges of your lawn too.