Reddit reviews EZ-Straw Grass Seed Germination and Erosion Control Blanket - 4ft. x 50ft. (200 sq. ft.)

I guess it really depends. I would at least do a soil composition test to find out why grass there may have died. It could be bad soil (either chemically, or compositionally), or could have been just the wrong grass species/drought. So first step is to just gather information. You can buy soil test kits for like $10. They're a bit of a pain in the ass to do though. Alternatively, most local universities have programs that let you bring in soil samples for testing for free, and they can do that for you.

Chances are the soil is most likely fine, but could be too sandy.

Barring anything wrong with the soil's chemistry or composition, revitalizing the area is pretty easy:

If there are no significant weeds, take a steel rake and smash it into the ground, all over the area (including where there is grass). Just want to puncture it to aerate it. Cheap and fast to to do. For the bare area, you want to till it a bit to soften the soil, and remove any dead vegitation.

Apply some starter fertilizer and water it into the ground. May want to wait a couple of days after putting it down to let it absorb into the soil. Get fertilizer explicitly designed for new grass.

Next, grab some high quality top soil on a shovel, and start flicking it all over the area with your hand (including spots where there is grass. Don't cover that grass, but get some top soil in there. You may have to wait until the top soil has dried out so that you're not flicking clumps. Leave it in the wheel barrow outside in the sun and stir it up a bit to get it dry. When try, flick it all over the area. Try to get 1/2 inch or so. For the bare area, if you feel so inclined, put more top soil there and till it into the existing soil to keep it nice and loose and add more nutrients. Combined with the fertilized soil from earlier, this will help give the grass a good foundation to grow from.

Seed the area according to the recommendations on the bag (usually more heavily in the bare spots, and lighter in the parts with grass already). Then use the back of a light plastic leaf rake to GENTLY massage the seeds 1/4" into the soil. Some people stomp them into the soil, but that can compact the soil and make it hard for roots to grow deeper. It's ok for some seed to be showing on the surface, just try to make sure it has good soil contact (just not buried too deep in the soil).

Then just keep the top 1-2 inches moist (not standing water, just moist) throughout the day. There's no set watering frequency, just water as frequently as needed to keep it moist without being wet. As the grass starts growing taller, water it less frequently, but longer, getting that moisture layer deeper and deeper into the soil.

If you DO have a weed problem, you're going to want to nuke the area (grass and all) and till up the soil. Don't use extended control weed killer, just the 3 day stuff so that you can re-plant. I would personally wait a week or so just to be safe.

Either way, the key will be to seed the bare area, and overseed into the established area so that it blends in.

A helpful thing to do is get a straw germination blanket and put it over the area. This does a couple of things:

1. It helps the soil retain moisture better, leading to less frequent watering
   
2. It keeps birds away from the grass
   
3. It provides shade for the new sprouts so that harsh sun doesn't cook them before they have a chance to grow deeper roots.
   
   You may want to wait until fall at this point, as the cooler temperatures will be much more hospitable to the grass.