Lawn Repair & Reseeding in Orlando, FL

Lawn repair and reseeding in Orlando starts with one question: what grass is in the yard now? We fix washouts after storms, thin and patchy lawns, areas torn up by construction or equipment, and whole yards that need renovation. For bahiagrass, bermudagrass and centipedegrass lawns, reseeding with hydroseed or overseeding is often the most cost-effective repair. For St. Augustinegrass lawns, seed is not the answer, and we will say so.

Know what you are repairing

St. Augustinegrass, the most common lawn grass in Florida, is established only from sod, plugs or sprigs. Bare spots in a St. Augustine lawn are filled with sod pieces or plugs, not seed. Bahiagrass, bermudagrass and centipedegrass can all be reseeded. Mixed yards, which are common in older neighborhoods, sometimes make sense to convert entirely to one seeded grass rather than patching.

Brown is not always dead

Before anything is reseeded, we figure out why it failed. UF/IFAS notes that bahiagrass goes dormant and turns brown in extended drought, then recovers when conditions improve, so a brown bahia lawn in a dry spring may only need water. In St. Augustine lawns, the southern chinch bug causes yellow to brown patches that often show up first along sidewalks and driveways in full sun. Dollarweed and sedges point to soil that stays too wet. Reseeding without fixing the cause just repeats the problem.

Storm and washout repair

Orlando's summer storms can drop several inches of rain an hour, and the city has taken notable hurricane damage in recent years, including from Irma in 2017, Ian in 2022 and Milton in 2024. Washed-out channels, sand fans across lawns, and areas scraped bare during cleanup are common repair jobs. We fill and regrade the washed area, fix where the water came from, and reseed with mulch and tackifier so the next storm does not repeat it.

Lawn renovation and overseeding

When a seeded lawn is thin all over, overseeding puts new seed into the existing turf. We mow low, loosen the soil so seed reaches the ground, and spray seed and mulch over the whole area. For a full lawn renovation, old turf and weeds are removed, the grade is corrected, and the yard is seeded from scratch. One caution: winter overseeding with ryegrass is sold in some places for green color, but UF notes that cool-season grasses die quickly in Florida's warm climate. It is temporary color, not a repair.

Timing a repair

UF/IFAS advises seeding warm-season grasses in spring and summer, when they grow fastest. Repairs in April and May give new grass a full growing season. Summer repairs work with good drainage and heavier mulch. Dry-season repairs need irrigation.

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