How to Overseed Your Lawn

Lawn care is an essential part of exterior home maintenance. A healthy lawn can bring beauty and value to any property. No matter how much you spend in your yard, your grass will eventually look dull and lifeless. Overseeing is the best way to keep it looking great. Learn everything you need about overseeing a lawn from landscape professionals.

What is Overseeding?

Overseeding refers to the process of adding new grass blades to an existing lawn. Your lawn's production rate decreases as it ages. Weeds can take over in this weak state. There are two main reasons to oversee your lawn:

The lawn is becoming thin, brown, and patchy.

Cool-season seed can be used to replace warm-season grass that goes dormant during winter. This will ensure year-round growth.

What is the best time to overseed lawns?

The type of seed you are planting will determine the time it takes to overseed your lawn. Overseed lawns in northern climates should be done 45 days before the first frost. This is the best way to strengthen a thinned or weak lawn. It is best to strengthen turf in spring after all danger of freezes have passed.

If temperatures drop below 65 degrees at night, those living in southern climates that have warm-season grasses need to ensure winter color. To promote germination, prepare the area before high soil temperatures.

How to Overseed Your Lawn

These are the things you will need

• Grass seed
• Enriched soil
• Lawnmower
• Rake
• Seed spreader
• Sprinkler

Step 1: Mow and Rake

Begin overseeding by mowing the lawn at the lowest setting. Next, bag the clippings. The next step is to rake your lawn to remove all debris and loose grass. This will expose the soil to the new seed.

Step 2: Modify the Soil

To provide a healthy environment for new seeds to grow, add a thin layer of enriched soil to the surface of the grass.

Step 3: Add the seeds

Fill the seed spreader with the seeds, adjust the settings to suit the label and then apply the seed over the entire area. A hand spreader may be better for smaller areas. For larger lawns, a drop or broadcast spreading tool is more appropriate.

Step 4: Feed the grass

Apply a fertilizer that is suitable for new grass. It should contain both phosphorus to encourage root growth and nitrogen to enhance top growth.

Step 5: Water the Lawn

Keep the soil and seeds moist. Water once to twice daily until new grass reaches the same height as old grass. To prevent your lawn from wilting, you should water it as necessary to ensure a healthy root system. You should not mow the grass until it has grown at least 1 inch high.

A healthy lawn takes a lot of water to grow. But once your grass has been established, you can start to reduce your water consumption and lower your monthly bills. Call us today or contact us online to discuss your commercial and residential lawn and garden needs, including overseeding.