Lawn expert warns popular toilet paper hack could ruin your lawn – realestate.com.au

A cheap household item is being hailed as an affordable way to tidy up lawns, but an expert warns it could do more harm than good.

A common problem for homeowners who want to keep their lawn immaculate is pesky spots and holes that appear seemingly out of nowhere.

Lawns Solutions Australia spokesperson Nathan Edwards said there are many reasons why these spots can appear, including general wear and tear, heat stress, pest-related issues and poor lawn maintenance.

But despite what many may think, there are some simple solutions to ensure you don’t have to put up with the pain of a spotty lawn.

“Regular maintenance of a lawn will go a long way in preventing bare spots,” said Mr Edwards.

Sometimes the best solutions have been the simplest when it comes to lawn care. Photo credit: Lawn Solutions Australia

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“So mow and water regularly, aerate to reduce compaction caused by wear and tear, and promote a healthy soil base that supports your lawn and allows water and nutrients to penetrate effectively.

“Installing the right grass in the right environment is also incredibly important for long-term success.”

One solution that is becoming increasingly popular on social media involves a common household item that you probably have in all your bathrooms.

Hundreds of videos of people using toilet paper to create a mulch-like substance with grass seeds are being hailed as a new way to fill and repair holes in the lawn.

Many of the social media posts claim that they can fix their patchy lawn in just two or three weeks.

People distributing the hack video themselves mix toilet paper, grass seeds and water to create slurry that they then use to fill in dead spots.

Mr Edwards said the use of toilet paper was an attempt to mimic a process called hydromulching or seed germination.

“The idea behind this is that the toilet paper helps protect the seed from birds, wind, etc. while providing moisture and an environment ideal for germination,” he said.

Some of the many videos going viral on the toilet paper mulching hack. Photos: Instagram

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While many swear by the hack, Mr Edwards said it wouldn’t work for most grass species in Australia.

“The problem is, in most cases, your lawn will be a different type of grass,” he said.

“Seed germination can still be quite hit and miss and if patches are small enough you will generally get a much better result by promoting healthy recovery from your existing grass or from laying sod.”

Mr Edwards said it could also ultimately lead to the creation of a mix or patch of ‘inferior grass’.

“The most commonly available warm season grasses in Australia, such as Sir Walter DNA certified buffalo grass, are not viable in seed so they cannot be supplied or repaired in this way,” he said.

“You can then get a variety of grasses that do not perform well or have a different growth pattern.

“The best grasses for Australian conditions are not usually available in seed, so if you use a seed it is likely to be an inferior grass.”

Regular mowing, watering and fertilizing contribute to the recovery of your lawn. Photo: Jonathan Ng

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Most Australian lawn varieties are warm-season grasses that can regenerate themselves.

“They will be able to spread laterally across the surface and fill back in during the warmer months,” Edwards said.

If the patches are quite large, the quickest and easiest solution (and often the most cost-effective) is to simply cut and lay new grass from an approved grass supplier, he added.

If the patches were smaller, you won’t need to make extreme changes to your standard lawn care.

“Improving the soil, regular watering, mowing and fertilizing all help your grass recover, making it thicker again.”