If You Need to Patch Lawn Gaps, Try This Easy Toilet Paper Hack

Who knew the key to a lush lawn was in your bathroom cupboard?

When the snow thaws after a long winter, it’s time to weed, aerate and clean up your lawn. One common early spring complaint? A brown, spotty, half-dead lawn from all that water. Well, lucky for us, TikToker @Homespiff (@lbhomespiff) shared their simple, affordable hack to reseed dead grass patches. In this article, we’ll walk you through the entire process, so your lawn will be greener than ever in no time.

What do I need to reseed dead grass patches on my lawn?

According to the video, all you need to reseed the dead grass patches in your lawn is toilet paper, grass seed and water. For the toilet paper, you’ll want to use an untreated, natural variety that will biodegrade easily. Look for toilet papers that are marked as specifically friendly for RVs or septic tanks, or bamboo varieties.

How to reseed dead grass patches using toilet paper

Now, it’s time to make the grass-patching mixture. In a large bowl, mix the grass seeds with enough water to make a slurry, as shown in the video below. Then, add enough toilet paper so that you create a sludgy mixture, much like papier-mâché. Finally, apply the toilet paper-grass seed mixture to the dead patches in your lawn. Use a layer about an inch thick to give the seeds a chance to sprout. Now, just wait! According to the video, grass will begin to sprout after seven days.

@lbhomespiff Have you tried this?? Cool hack….or not? 😅 #gardenhack #gardening #foryou #inspire ♬ original sound – Homespiff

Benefits (and drawbacks) to this toilet paper grass seed hack

Some commenters on the video have pointed out that you could just use topsoil instead of toilet paper, and of course that’s true. Other commenters have raised concerns about the sustainability of this hack. If you are using biodegradable toilet paper, this should not be an issue. The biggest benefit to using toilet paper is that it’s cheap, easy and quick. Additionally, the toilet paper will protect the grass seeds from scavenging birds and keep them suitably moist.

Next, check out 20 gardening tips that’ll save you time, money and effort.

The Family Handyman
Originally Published on The Family Handyman