We’re repairing some bare spots in our yard and growing some whole new areas of grass while we’re at it. But before we get into that, we need to backup. This is the literal final step of the biggest backyard project. We weren’t starting from scratch. No. I think the back yard is the space we have put the absolute most time and effort into designing and creating a space of our dreams since buying our home 7 years ago. First we built a fire pit, then came DIY pergolas, cinderblock raised garden beds, a concrete dining table, and now a pool! What usually happens with a pool build is the yard gets torn up a bit with the heavy machinery coming in and out of the yard. That’s what happened with us so we knew we were going to have to get our irrigation system repaired and we needed it reworked anyways because of all the changes we’ve made over the years. Since our irrigation actually hasn’t been working for far longer than that, probably close to a year, our front yard had all but died and turned into a dusty dirt pit. Last minute before we had the irrigation repaired, I decided to have them build a retaining wall for the front as well. This meant that we basically had brand new dirt to grow grass on. In the back yard, we had a quite a few patches that needed grass so we have both applications for patching grass and growing new grass.

Irrigation was a costly expense we hired out because Steve briefly said he would do it himself for .2 seconds before really thinking about it and realizing that he didn’t want to trench our entire yard. So for the grass we needed to save cost where we could. We wanted something effective because we want grass ASAP but about 1,100 square feet of sod just wasn’t in the budget. Steve actually found this product while scrolling instagram and we both knew we wanted to try it because we were looking for how to regrow grass fast–it was a seed mat.

What is a seed mat?

Seed mats are a biodegradable roll of material with grass seeds and fertilizer placed in the center. Some of the fertilizer is immediate and some it time release to feed the seeds as they germinate and grow.

Benefits vs. regular seed

We got a few questions about why not just use regular seed and fertilizer. I mean, you totally can do that and, yes, that is the most affordable option. But the seed mat keeps the seeds in place so they germinate faster and rolling out a nice green mat is a simple installation with clear total coverage.

These seed mats are ideal for DIYers, busy homeowners and those who want quick results looking for how to regrow grass fast.

---

Step-by-Step: How to Repair Bare Spots with Seed Mat

Prep the Area

Make sure to remove large amounts of debris or things that would keep the seed mat from making contact with the soil. The mat needs to touch the soil for the seeds to germinate properly and to “glue” the mat down.

Lay the Seed Mat

The only issues we had were when we didn’t follow the instructions. I would recommend fully wetting the first mat and if there is any sort of breeze, don’t roll it out more than a couple feet at a time before watering it into place. When you move to the next row, overlap the mat by a couple inches and water into place, this “glues” the mats together and keeps good coverage.

Make sure to never step on the mat once it’s in place.

Completely cover the bare spots where you want the new grass to grow. You can cut into whatever sizes and shapes you need.

Watering

Like I mentioned, you have to water it as you go. We used a hose with a sprayer attachment to completely soak the mats.

Once the mats are down, this is the important part. You cannot let them dry out. The mats staying moist does a couple things. It keeps them glued down to the ground and keeps them from blowing away. It also is what the seeds depend on to germinate and grow grass.

For the first 4 days, we had our irrigation system watering for a couple minutes every hour. We cut that back at night but not by much. We also had it watering that much because it’s the dead of summer in Texas while we’re doing this which is not advised but, it’s what we’re doing. You can make adjustments to your watering schedule based on your weather. It just needs to say moist. After those 4 days, we cut it back to about every 2 hours during the day and then after a week we were watering a couple minutes, 4 times a day.

Watching Growth

We didn’t know when we would start to see growth but on day 4, we saw little green sprouts start to peek out all over the place! Sprouting timeline varies based on many factors so if you don’t see sprouts on day 4, that doesn’t mean it’s not working. Germination can take 7–14 days.

---

Common Questions People Ask About Seed Mats

• Does a seed mat really work for shady areas? We don’t know from experience but, the same brand of seed mat we used has a specific grass roll for shady areas. So I’d say, yes.
• How long before grass fills in? Currently our yard is growing but the estimate is to have a full yard in 4-5 weeks.
• Is it more expensive than regular seed? Yes, it’s more expensive than buying a bucket of seed and just spreading it out but it’s also more affordable than sod.
• Can I use it on large areas or just patches? It works great for both.

---

My Experience Using a Seed Mat

It was worth it to me to have everything I need in this mat I lay down and water to get grass. With plain seeds, there is a lot of washout and then I need to know more of what I’m doing with the right seed and fertilizer. This had everything in one and I didn’t have to think about it. I would definitely use these again based on my experience so far. I even like that the mats are green when you put them down so it’s not so ugly while your grass is growing in.

If you’re looking for how to regrow grass fast, try this seed mat. It’s easy install and quick results will have me coming back to it if I ever need to grow more grass again as it’s the best way to fix patchy grass. Leave us a comment below letting us know if you’d try a seed mat, sod or seed?

These shorts I wore are my current favorite made by my longtime favorite athletic wear brand. They’re the perfect 5″ length, have a zipping pocket, they’re lightweight and very affordable!

Explore some more while you’re here <3