Question
HI!
 My lawn has grass at some places and is bare at other places.
A friend suggest to put some mulch on the bare places. What is mulch? How can it help my lawn?
                                   Thanks
                                  for your help
                                      ED

Answer
Hi Ed. Your friend was probably referring to a product on the market that is a mix of mulch, grass, seed and/or starter fertilizer in a bag. It is used for reseeding bare patches. If you use this product, roughen up (Break up) the top 1/2 inch or so of ground with a bow rake (steel rake). Spread your repair seed mix, and keep it constantly moist until the seeds have germinated. hand water it with a hose on mist a few times a day. Most grass seed will germinate between 7 and 21 days. The mulch is added to help retain moisture which is needed for germination, as well as protecting the seed from birds.
You probably should look at other possible reasons for your bare patches as well. You may have heavily compacted soil. If this is the case, core aeration is offered by many companies. Seeding after core aeration is ideal. I am not sure of the climate where you live, but there are also ideal times to seed. If you live in the south, warm season grasses prefer warmer soil temperatures for germination. In the north, it is the opposite. Summer is a bad time to seed cold season grasses. The success rate of germination drops off quite a bit.
Caring for a lawn and repairing a lawn can cover a wide range of topics. If you are interested in bringing your lawn back to life as well as long term care, than I can suggest some sites for you that will give you the information you need. Having a nice lawn requires a good weekend worth of reading. Here are a couple of places for you to browse. All the best of luck to you with your lawn.
Have a great day ED
Kevin
http://www.dream-yard.com/lawn-care-maintenance.html
http://www.lawn-care-academy.com/index.html
http://www.american-lawns.com/index.html