First decision
Protect living turf
When crowns, runners, or green tissue remain, stop the cause and judge whether the grass can recover during active growth.
Lawn repair
Recovery, seed, plugs, or sod?
A repair succeeds when the cause is controlled, the material matches the lawn, and establishment happens in a workable growth window.
Cool-season option
Repair with matching seed
Use seed only when the species, cultivar expectations, establishment window, site conditions, and follow-up watering align.
Vegetative option
Repair with plugs
Plugs can be useful for grasses normally established vegetatively or when a small matching repair can spread into the area.
Fast coverage
Fit a small piece of sod
Sod can restore coverage quickly when it matches the lawn and has good soil contact, moisture, and establishment conditions.
Current field guide
Repair a dog urine patch
Follow the complete sequence for fresh deposits, stressed turf, fully dead patches, and repeat prevention.
Read the repair guide →06Grass-specific example
Repair St. Augustinegrass
See why a generic repair seed is the wrong starting point for this warm-season lawn.
Read the St. Augustine guide →Before you buy
Repair material cannot solve the original site problem.
Correct drainage, traffic, shade expectations, irrigation gaps, repeated pet use, or an unresolved diagnosis before installing new turf in the same place.
Return to lawn problems →