Fall Into Overseeding

Is your turf losing its luster? Lawns tend to deteriorate over time. Bare spots can occur from simply a harsh summer or winter or it can be a gradual process. In either case, over-seeding can be a great fix. Fall is the most favorable time of year as the temps are cooler, the days are shorter, and there tends to be more rainfall. All of these are ideal conditions for seedlings to grow and mature.

Does your lawn need overseeding?

–Do you have bare spots, large or small? For over-seeding, the process is the same whether the affected area is large or small.

–Does your lawn entirely consist of a warm season grass? If your grass turns brown in the winter, that could be because you have a warm season grass like Bermuda. Introducing a cool season grass like Fescue will help keep grass green in winter.

–Does your lawn consist of more than 50% weeds or unfavorable grass species? In this case, a full renovation may be the solution.

5 Steps to overseeding

1-Determine what caused the damage in the first place. Overseeding without correcting the problem will be futile as the grass may die as before. Do you have an irrigation problem? Insects or disease? Be sure to test your soil’s pH and adjust properly.

2-Determine what type of seed to use. There are many factors to consider when choosing a grass for your lawn. The folks at DIY have a few suggestions if you’re unsure.

3-Aerate prior to over-seeding. At a minimum, at least aerate the bare spots. But if you’re going to go to the trouble, might as well aerate the whole thing. Trust us, your lawn will thank you! It important because you’re giving the new grass seed fresh little holes to root in and grow from.

4-Overseed. There are push and handheld spreaders that work. If the area is small, spreading with your hand will do. Seed should be applied generously over the area aiming for 15-20 seeds per square inch. To insure a uniform application, spread seed in 2 directions made at right angles to each other. After seeding, rake lightly and roll to insure good seed-to-soil contact.

5-Water and watch it grow! Water lightly and frequently during germination and the growing period. The seed bed should remain damp. Give it a good 3-4 weeks to establish and continue to mow regularly during this time.

TIP: A post-seeding fertilizer application will increase the grass seeds viability as well as prepare your entire lawn for winter!

Overseeding is important to maintain a healthy lawn. Pure Green’s experts are happy to make house calls to determine if overseeding is right for your lawn. We will do all the hard work so all you have to do is enjoy a beautiful lawn!