Follow these simple steps and you’ll never dread seeding again! Make sure you choose a variety of seed that blends nicely with your existing lawn. We know ads can be annoying, but they’re what allow us to make all of wikiHow available for free. Keep Your Freshly Seeded Lawn Moist! Unlock expert answers by supporting wikiHow. It can help prevent weeds from taking over your lawn. Watering is the biggest component of getting your seed to germinate, as seeds require up to 4 weeks of daily watering ensuring that they stay moist. Results can also be improved by combining Overseeding with a Top Dressing service. wikiHow is where trusted research and expert knowledge come together. Support wikiHow by Seeding is less expensive than turfing. If the grass hasn’t fully grown in there’s a good chance that you’ll have more weeds than normal since the ground has been cultivated and made ideal for germination. Your new seeding will require consistent moisture. Normally we want 1/4 inch of thatch or less when overseeding. Change a Lawns Appearance or Tolerance. Contact your municipal government center, garden center, university extension services, or local master gardener program for information on services that may be available in your area. Watering daily is very important and if possible, watering 2 or 3 times per day for short periods of time is recommended. Yes. Variety: Every common grass, should have a variety name. In the North, the best time to overseed your lawn is in the fall, when the soil is still warm but the air is cooler, and there are fewer weeds for new grass to compete against. If your lawn has not been fed in the last 4 months we recommend feeding the lawn before overseeding. Jeremy Yamaguchi is a Lawn Care Specialist and the Founder/CEO of Lawn Love, a digital marketplace for lawn care and gardening services. Concentrate on seeding and watering and forget about … With spring-sown lawns this means not until the following spring as their effectiveness diminishes rapidly with the onset of cooler conditions in early autumn. A simple weekday lawn maintenance schedule can keep your lawn lush and your weekends free.. For a simple, all-in-one approach to a thicker lawn, you can put your lawn on the fast … A wider range of seed mixtures for particular conditions is available from seed than from turf. My lawn looks brilliant, thanks to this blog. would normally cut the lawn (around 3.5-4 inches), mow it back down to your desired height. In general, mixtures are more likely to survive adverse weather conditions, like heat and drought, than a single-seed lawn. Results can also be improved by combining Overseeding with a Top Dressing service. Loose soil also allows grass seeds and seedlings to be anchored and more resistant to wind and water dislocation. Seed also needs exposure to sunlight. Lawns need to be restored occasionally and choosing the right grass seed for the job is critical. No more than 1/8” - 1/4”. Make sure that no weed control or weed prevention chemical has been used in the area, as those products will also prevent or inhibit germination. Temperature plays a critical role in seed germination. Finally, give the newly seeded patch a deep and thorough watering (stop if you see the water start to puddle). Bermuda grass might be great, but it probably doesn't blend all that nicely with Fine Fescues. Thanks! New lawns require special care during the establishment period. How to Overseed Your Lawn . Very hot weather will also inhibit seed germination. To overseed a lawn, start by mowing your existing grass so it's lower than you'd normally cut it, which will help the new seed blend in better. When you water your lawn at night or late in the evening, it can promote an environment for fungus and disease. By late October, the new grass should be thick and strong enough to survive the winter. Normally, thatch is beneficial until it becomes thicker than 1 inch (2.5 cm). Since 1881, we have experimented with turfgrass varietals to breed … Expert Interview. It is important to keep the new seed moist. The term “overseed” may sound technical and even intimidating if you aren’t familiar with the process, but it’s really a simple gardening concept: Overseeding is simply the process of planting new grass seed over your existing grass in order to create a revived, newly green and beautiful lawn that is lush and healthy. To learn more from our Professional Landscaper co-author, like how to check the pH of your soil before seeding it, keep reading the article! Please consider making a contribution to wikiHow today. Then water once a day. Go over the top of your soil lightly with a thatch rake. This method generally works best when the newly seeded areas are covered with several inches of snow soon after seeding that remains in place over the entire winter period. You can overseed at other times of the year. I usually have a few spots that need touching up every spring. In this case, keep a close eye on the soil and air temperatures before getting started. You should apply fertilizer first, then the seeds. Overseeding any yard with ryegrass has been done for years to help both protect and beautify lawns across all regions of the US. Concentrate on seeding … Sometimes seeding in the Spring is unavoidable. I have a large Red Maple in my front yard that hadn’t been pruned in ages. This process is called "dethatching." "The Grass is Always Greener Over the Septic Tank" proclaims Erma Bombeck in her humorous book by the same title. Allowing the soil to dry out even for an hour during the critical germination phase can result in seedling death. So aerating and seeding provides your lawn with new seedlings that grow into new, healthy turf. so i put the seed down.my mower is gonna blow the seeds all over. Your support helps wikiHow to create more in-depth illustrated articles and videos and to share our trusted brand of instructional content with millions of people all over the world. Amid the current public health and economic crises, when the world is shifting dramatically and we are all learning and adapting to changes in daily life, people need wikiHow more than ever. How to Care for Your Newly Seeded Lawn. How to control weeds in newly seeded grass The garden centers have been abuzz this fall with the sale of grass seed. Too much nitrogen can burn the new germination and seedlings. Overseeding also helps new grass retain its green colour longer in the drier months. Approved. As the grass grows, allow the soil to dry slightly before watering again. Results can also be improved by combining Overseeding with a Top Dressing service. To do that, the first step is to mow the lawn. Jeremy Yamaguchi is a Lawn Care Specialist and the Founder/CEO of Lawn Love, a digital marketplace for lawn care and gardening services. Grass seed grows and germinates best when daytime temperatures are around 50°F (10°C). How much grass seed per thousand square feet when overseeding? Overseeding is the process of applying grass seed over an existing lawn. Choosing the right time of year is all about soil temperature. See my article on irrigation. This may require that you give the seeded areas a light watering two to three times a day for the first few weeks. Overseeding Lawns Using Fine Fescue Seed. That’s primarily because it’s almost impossible to keep new seed moist in the summer without nearly constant watering. This will help them germinate. "Open" winters with extended warm periods followed by extremely cold periods can negatively affect spring germination of dormant seeded lawns. To cut down on weeds further, your best bet is keeping your . After your newly seeded fescue Lawn is completed we recommend watering three times a day every day of the week, but only long enough each time to keep the seed wet. Follow seed provider guidelines for broadcast coverage. Excess clippings left on the lawn, also called thatch, can prevent seed from reaching the soil and germinating. Seeds will not germinate if the temperatures are cold at night, or are fluctuating from high day temperature to very low night time temperatures. After planting the seeds, you must make sure they’re covered with moist soil— at least a fourth of an inch— to foster growth. But next spring could be a whole other story if you seed this fall - the perfect time to start a new lawn. DIY Lawn Expert is a website where I share things about lawn care as I learn them, condensing my research and experimentation. ", "Very good information for us non-professionals to understand how to overseed our lawns, thank you very much. Also, make sure you get rid of any weeds and mow your lawn before you get started. Please help us continue to provide you with our trusted how-to guides and videos for free by whitelisting wikiHow on your ad blocker. And that’s with Southern exposure. Once the surrounding grass starts to grow it’s tempting to get the mower out, however, you need to wait until the seed germinates and reaches at least two inches. Arguably the best time to overseed is during September, or at least six weeks before temperatures reach freezing or there is an overnight frost. This guide will help identify the different ryegrass types to help you determine what would be best for your current yard type. The varieties of fine fescue in the U.S. are used primarily as a shade grass. While seeding, the gardener adds grass seeds to the prepared soil in order to grow grass from scratch; on the other hand, overseeding is when the gardener scatters grass seeds … Overseeding is one of the most important tasks involved in growing a healthy, lush lawn. If the seed dries out at any time after you have started watering … By using our site, you agree to our. Core aeration opens up the compacted soil to allow oxygen, water, fertilizer and minerals into soil the base. Rake the soil lightly to cover the seed with a thin layer of … Crabgrass is everywhere in my area, so my favorite fertilizer to use when seeding a new section of lawn is Scott’s Turf Builder Starter Fertilizer + Crabgrass Preventer. Let's pretend there are a couple areas that had some bad erosion during a recent storm and after say 14 days there isn't much germination. That’s necessary because all the watering you do to make the seedlings grow actually pushes the first application of fertilizer out of the top layer of soil, putting it beyond the reach of the young roots. The birds and other animals digging up the grubs just made the situation worse. Peat moss also provides a number of residual benefits to your lawn, such as the improvement of aeration. See also... RHS video: laying a lawn from seed or turf Sports Turf Research Institute. Topsoil first, then seed. By the time I realized, a large amount of damage had already been done, since the grubs eat the roots. Don’t set it so low that you scalp your lawn, but as low as possible. treat any broadleaf weeds that have popped up in your lawn. Avoid using new lawns heavily in their first season. How to Fertilize Your Lawn Effectively and Responsibly, Quick Fixes For the 11 Most Common Lawn Problems, Ryobi Blower Review – The Tool I Use Almost Everyday. Overseeding Lawns with Bluegrass Seed. Should Bob reseed these areas ASAP or dormant … D. Inert Matter: This is the stuff that won’t grow, such as dirt and stale seeds. When to sow a new lawn. How to care for your newly seeded lawn by week: Week 1-2: During the first two weeks following your aeration and seeding service, the main goal is to keep the ground/seed moist while the seed begins to germinate. In this case, keep a close eye on the soil and air temperatures before getting … Aeration and seeding is a cumbersome, multi-step process. Sometimes seeding in the Spring is unavoidable. The rhizomes sprout at various points along the stem producing a new plant identical to the mother plant. Cut the grass lower than you usually do. Keep the newly seeded lawn areas, consistently damp … I like to start seeding at the earliest first week of September and will push into the first week of October if I have to. Some soil types will get spongy, especially newly seeded topsoil. What Is the Suitable Time of Overseeding on Your Lawn? In cold-weather climates, fall's cooler temperatures prevent the seeds from drying out, but there's still enough sun and rain to help them germinate before going into hibernation for the winter, without the competition of crabgrass and other weeds that die off this time of year. Walk away from bags with a test date more than one year old. As the weather warms up in spring, fertilize and start cutting the lawn at the lower height for the warm-season grass. A heavy cover of straw, soil, or other material will cause the seeds to rot, or severely limit germination. Once this is done, and your seed is applied, I recommend applying a thin layer of peat moss to the soil to very slightly cover the seed and help in retaining moisture. Let's say I have a friend named Bob. The lawn can usually be overseeded 3 to 4 days after applying a general lawn fertiliser, however, you will usually need to wait about 4 weeks after applying a feed, weed & moss killer. Next, spread a thin layer of compost and fertilizer over your lawn, and scatter the new seed over it with a spreader. When watering a new lawn, use just enough water to keep the soil moist at seed depth. I usually have a few spots that need touching up every spring. Remember to rake lightly when spreading the compost with your rake. Also, diseases that attack seedlings are less active. rejunvenate your lawn. Last Updated: August 12, 2020 Seeds must come into direct contact with the soil in order to germinate. Remember to identify your grass type before you begin. Breaking the soil open hurts the root structure of the existing grass and gives new weeds a chance to invade. Pay close attention to your grass over the first few months of growth. I had the misfortune of having a grub infestation in my first summer following seeding. This is done without destroying or pulling up any of the previous turf as well as soil. are seeding into bare ground, you will want to mow the lawn and the seedlings normally. Before overseeding a lawn, it is important to choose a seed that is compatible with your grass and climate/growing zone. You might want to overseed if your lawn looks old, brown, somewhat worn out. “Overseeding” the lawn, which involves adding new seed to an existing lawn, helps thicken the lawn to eliminate the spaces where weeds can take hold. Similarly, you should limit activity on the lawn – walking on it, etc, in order to allow the seeds to reach full germination. More than 3 percent is a red flag, unless it’s a seed coating meant to enhance germination. 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