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

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 paper-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

What Are Some Benefits and Drawbacks to the Toilet Paper Grass Seed Hack?

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. Some commenters on the video have pointed out that you could just use topsoil instead of toilet paper, or that the seeds will only implant into the toilet paper, not the ground, but these have not been proven. Lastly, if you’re concerned about the unsightliness of the toilet paper, many commenters have suggested dying the mixture green with food coloring to less the visual impact.

What Are Some Alternative Lawn Covers?

In the comments, many individuals have also shared concerns about the sustainability of this hack. If you are using biodegradable toilet paper, this should not be a concern. However, if you’d like a greener lawn in all senses of the word, be sure to check out these eco-friendly lawn alternatives. You can also try these drought-friendly alternatives and these super-easy varieties. We also love no-mow grass, clover grass, moss grass and succulent yards.