Growth starts with a seed. From there, patterns of life emerge. Nature provides us with plenty of examples, from the habitats that flourish to the lawns that remain lush.
But does grass naturally fill in bare spots? Short answer: Yes, it can. It all depends on the environment, though.
Grass only needs certain conditions to sprout: sunlight, access to water and nutrients, and a hospitable area for growth. In ideal conditions, native grasses may fill the gaps left behind in lawns or gardens quickly — oftentimes within just a few weeks.
When natural processes such as these occur organically, they’re generally called “self-seeding” or “spreading” grasses because they naturally seed themselves in places where they can thrive best.
However, those conditions don’t always exist; when it’s hard for new grass plants to sprout and spread independently over an area — be it due to heavy traffic or insufficient sunlight — it’s likely homeowners will need to take proactive steps like reseeding or using turf-building products like wildflower mixes to resolve their bare patches problem.
The key is proper preparation – regular mowing and keeping your soil healthy through aeration are essential ingredients so as to give your grass enough resources for optimal growth and health maintenance when it does fill in filled bare spots naturally.