How Much Does It Cost To Reseed A Lawn
Wondering how much to budget for your lawn project? Our guide to the cost of reseeding a lawn breaks down average prices, cost factors, and the best lawn care services.
Reseeding a lawn is a great way to breathe new life into dead grass from years of foot traffic. Bare spots in your lawn can come from anywhere: from dogs running through your sprinkler system or kids playing football on your turf. If youve recently moved, you may need seed to care for your new lawn. Reseeding can make a drastic difference in your lawns appearance, but what is the average cost you can expect to pay?
The This Old House Reviews Team has researched the best lawn care services in the United States for this cost guide, including each providers reseeding services and pricing. Use this guide to learn the cost to reseed a lawn, plan your seeding project, and avoid unexpected expenses.
What Are The Best Grass Seeds For Overseeding
Grass turfs in other lawns may seem the same but grass can be of great variety. There are quite some choices for you to choose from cool-season grass seeds and warm-season grass seeds. The choice depends on your preference and your regions climate.
Overseeding the right grass seed at the right time is essential to reap the benefits of overseeding because a warm-season grass seed cannot grow and survive during the cool season and vice versa. Furthermore, some grass seeds need extra care and maintenance, while some are effortless. So if you are not a gardening person or busy, make sure to opt for an effortless one so that you can enjoy a thick, green lawn without making much effort.
Lets have a look at some of the grass seeds that can be used:
Using Lime Incorrectly Or Unnecessarily
Many homeowners think lime is a lawn care necessity, but that doesn’t hold true across the board. Normal lawn care can naturally cause soil pH to drop lower over time, and lime applications benefit lawns that need pH raised. But in some cases, soil pH may already be high. Using too much lime or applying it unnecessarily can be as damaging as failing to add lime when it’s needed.
When soil test results show your lawn’s soil pH is below levels needed for optimal grass health, liming in accordance with recommendations restores proper pH balance, increases nutrient availability and helps keep lawns green. While many lime products are slow to work, products such as Pennington Fast Acting Lime speed up the process and start working immediately.
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What Are Some Common Grass Seed Varieties
Grass seed comes in many different types, each with its own look and care requirements. For lawns, youll usually find turfgrass, which is narrow-leaved grass seed species that you can mow short, about two inches or shorter. This grass seed can tolerate foot traffic well. Generally, turfgrasses are divided into two categories: warm-season and cool-season grass.
Warm-season grasses begin active growth in late spring and are generally more tolerant to heat. Cool-season grasses, on the other hand, begin active growth much earlier in the season, usually mid spring, and grow better in cooler climates. Some common grasses youll find as part of a lawn include:
General Rule Of Thumb
If you are in a hurry and want a general ballpark figure, you dont need to read any further! For the best results, calculate your grass seed needs by type of seed and square footage. Otherwise, a general rule of thumb is 3-4 pounds of grass seed per 1,000 square feet for new lawns and 1-2 pounds of grass seed per 1,000 square feet for overseeding.
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How To Plant Grass Seed In A New Lawn
Starting a new lawn from scratch may seem like a formidable task, especially if you’re new to home ownership or working on your first lawn. But planting a lawn from seed is easier than it seems at first glance. All you need is the willpower to make it happenand good information to guide your steps.Homeowners and lawn professionals have been trusting Pennington Seed for more than three generations. When Pennington says you can do this, you can. Just follow these 10 steps to plant a lawn from grass seed, and you can enjoy a thick, lush green lawn you’ll be proud of:
Cost To Aerate And Overseed Lawn
The cost to overseed and aerate a lawn ranges from $600 to $900 per acre for a lawn in moderate condition. Lawn areation costs $480 and $650, while the cost to overseed a lawn ranges $200 and $400.
If you have an existing lawn thats thin and patchy but not in poor enough condition to warrant completely replacing the lawn, overseeding may be a good alternative. In overseeding, the seed is added to your existing lawn. Its designed to fill in bare spots and create a fuller, thicker, and lusher-looking lawn.
Often, people pair this with the aeration process for best results. Aerating a lawn involves extracting small cores from the soil, which are then dropped back on top of the ground to break down and enter the soil once more. This leaves behind small holes in the earth into which the seeds from the overseeding process can fall.
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Planting The Wrong Type Of Seed
Choosing appropriate grass varieties is the first step in ensuring your lawn performs up to your aspirations. Grasses vary widely in their preferences and tolerances, just like other types of plants. Kentucky bluegrass and Bermudagrass, for example, differ significantly in climate and maintenance requirements. Planting grass varieties appropriate to your growing region gives your seed a natural advantage.
Even with similar seed types, all grass seed isn’t equal. Learn what’s actually inside the seed bags you or your lawn professional buy. By understanding the seed tags on grass seed products, you can be sure you invest in quality seed. Cheaper price tags can mean less seed versus fillers, old seeds past their prime, more weed seeds and lower germination rates. Getting seed right from the start benefits your lawn and budget.
How Much Grass Seed Do I Need To Overseed
Last Updated on December 24, 2021 by
Lawns look best when lush green with no dry or thin patches. But summers and winters can be tough on your grass turfs such as bermuda grass and st. Augustine grass, leaving them distraught and worn out. Furthermore, excessive traffic on the grass during summers when kids and pets enjoy playing can also severely damage the grass.
Even though you take extreme and timely care of your lawn, water the grass, feed it with fertilizer, and make sure that there is limited traffic on the grass, you will notice that the grass turf will no longer appear after four to six weeks greener and lush as before. This is because mature grass does not grow many tillers making the lawn look patchy and distressed. You need to have young grass on your lawn to make it look fuller, greener, and lush.
There is a simple solution to all these problems, overseeding! Yes, overseeding is a simple yet effective solution to all such grass problems. If your lawn is suffering from patchy spots, bare spots, thinning grass, or simply if you want to make your yard appear greener, then overseeding is the most effective and easy way to cater to these issues.
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Should I Put Topsoil Over Grass Seed
You can add a thin layer of organic matter to help the seed to germinate, but do not cover it over with top soil.
Never put topsoil over newly planted grass seed, says Yamaguchi. This wont provide healthy growing conditions it will actually prevent the seedlings from sprouting by essentially suffocating them.
Leaves, straw, and peat moss can be used to help hold moisture for the seed to germinate and grow, adds James.
What Is Lawn Reseeding
Lawn reseeding, sometimes called overseeding, is a simple method to jump-start new growth and thicken your lawn. You spread fresh grass seed over existing grass. You can fill in thin spots to achieve a green lawn without tearing up any turf or soil.
Early fall is an ideal time to spread new grass seed. Soil temperatures are still warm, which helps seed germination. Cooler air temperatures are also better for grass growth. There are fewer weeds in your lawn around this time of year, so all nutrients go straight to your grass.
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Should I Put Down Grass Seed Or Fertilizer First
How you plant your new grass seed will determine the order of application for the starter fertilizer. Remember, whether you overseed or plant in exposed soil, using fertilizer for mature grass will be too strong of a formula for germinating seedlings.
If you overseed your existing lawn, you can sow the seeds first and then apply the starter fertilizer across the lawn to lightly cover the seeds and deliver the proper nutrients. The new seeds will germinate and mix into the existing grass matrix.
If youre planting in freshly tilled soil, apply the starter fertilizer first, then sow the seed. This way, seeds will get the amount of light they need to germinate across the entire yard, and they will settle into the soil with regular watering.
Factor #: A Shady Or Sunny Location Will Affect Germination Rates
When I grow grass from seed at home in controlled environments I can usually get the vast majority of my seed to germinate within a 5 day window. If my first seeds sprout on day five then usually the last seeds are sprouting on day 10 or so.
When you are trying to get those seeds to germinate however you have to keep the soil surface and the seeds themselves moist all day every day. This usually means that you will be lightly watering them many times a day.
Once the first seeds germinate you still have to water frequently though because you have to wait for a critical mass of grass blades to appear before you dial back the watering frequency.
In a lawn setting it can be harder to keep seeds moist in a sunny or hot location. If you expect your seed to germinate in 7 days then that means you need to be prepared for 14 days of a frequent light watering schedule. For a sunny location some of your seeds are more likely to dry out causing patchy germination rates.
You could plan on watering your baby grass multiple times a day for a full month waiting for full germination or you could sow a heavier amount of seed and then switch to a more normal watering pattern after a shorter amount of time.
Unless cost is a significant barrier to your seeding project I would always apply more seed to ground surfaces in full-sun location with the understanding that not all of the seed will germinate in a reasonable amount of time due to the weather or other external factors.
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Best Grass Seeds For Northern States
If you live in a Northern state, select a cool-season grass. Cool-season grasses thrive in the late spring and early fall months in the northern two-thirds of the United States. Northern grass seed products grow best when temperatures are 60-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
The most popular cool-season lawn grasses are:
- Bentgrass seed. One of the standard grasses for golf course putting greens, some bentgrass varieties, such as Colonial Bentgrass, are made for home lawns. It likes to be cropped short.
- Kentucky bluegrass seed. This is the classic choice for Northern lawns and was brought to the United States during the colonial days. Wants full sun, not shade tolerant.
- Fine Fescue seed. This perennial bunchgrass doesnt mind poorly drained areas.
- Tall fescue mix seed. Puts down deep roots, so a tall fescue lawn is drought tolerant.
- Creeping fescue seed. Although slow to germinate and spread, this fescue seed has tolerance for shade, and low maintenance requirements make it a good choice for large expanses. It is also a good companion for bluegrass since it will thrive in shady spots where bluegrass will not.
- Ryegrass seed. The annual variety is used for a quick shot of green. Its permanent, perennial cousin is noted for its wear tolerance, so its a good choice for places where children will romp.
How Can I Make My Grass Grow Faster In The Summer
You can make your grass grow faster in the summer by properly taking care of it. This means putting your lawnmower on a high setting, watering deeply and early in the day, attending to areas damaged by pet waste and putting fertilizer down. The cost to fertilize a lawn usually ranges between $80 and $380.
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Plant And Fertilize Your Grass Seed
With your soil ready, its time to lay down the seeds.
For planting grass seed in small areas, hand-seeding is fine. For larger areas, youll want to use a seeder. They can be hand cranked, chest mounted or push-from-behind models. Another option is a drop seeder, which drops seeds directly below. They are a good choice for small areas and are more precise than the rotary models. There are more expensive commercial seeding options as well.
Follow the instructions on the seed bag, but you generally want 15-20 seeds per square inch. Make a couple of test runs, aiming for half of that number since you are going to make two passes with your seeder. If the seeders lowest setting is too generous with the seed, thin it out with sand or vermiculite.
Once you get the distribution setting right, make two passes across your lawn area. If you go north-south on the first pass, go east-west on the second. Broadcasting the seed from two angles gives seed the best chance to spread evenly.
We call it the seed-soil contact, said University of Illinois Extension office educator Richard Hentschel. You want good seed-soil contact. If the seed and soil are not in intimate contact, the little root radicle may die out before it hits the soil. The radicle is the first root to emerge from a seed.
Rake the seeded surface lightly to mix the grass seed and fertilizer in the top 1/8-inch of soil. If you have access to one, roll using an empty roller to improve the germination rate.
Seed And Feed On The Same Day
Which goes on first, the seed or the lawn food? It’s up to you. Either way, use a drop or rotary spreader. Just follow the settings on the packages. You want to feed on the same day with Scotts® Starter® Lawn Food for New Grass to give your new grass seedlings a head start.
Cover Up
After the seeds and Starter® lawn food are laid down, cover the seeds with a thin layer of Scotts® Turf Builder® Lawn Soil. You can do this by gently dragging the back of a leaf rake over your seeded area. On hills, mulch with a thin layer of straw to keep seeds from washing away. Make sure you can plainly see the seedbed beneath the straw. You can also mulch with straw on the rest of your new lawn to help cut back on water use.
Keep on watering
After all your efforts, you don’t want your grass seed to dry out. Make sure the top inch of soil in your new lawn stays moist. You may need to lightly water two or three times a day. Keep at it until your seedlings are well-established. Once your new lawn has reached a mowing height, you can reduce the frequency and start watering thoroughly once or twice a week.
Maintenance
Great, your new lawn is growing vigorously. Now you have to cut it. Make sure you only mow the top third of the grass blades. Adjust your mower to high setting to keep the lawn nice and thick. When you cut it too short, weeds can sneak in.
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How To Plant Grass Seed: A Simple Guide To Success
Lawns are everywhere. Some are highly tended others, not so much. My own lawn is a mixed planting of three types of turf grass , clover, violets, ground ivy, and various other weeds, which is exactly how I like it . Regardless of how perfectionistic you are about your lawn, at one point or another, youll find yourself needing to plant grass seed. Whether its to fill in a bare spot left behind by Fido or a wayward snowplow, or to install a brand-new lawn after a construction project, learning how to plant grass seed is a necessity for most homeowners. This article offers a simple guide to success, no matter the reason for your reseeding efforts.
Corsican Mint Ground Cover
If you plan to plant Corsican mint, expect to pay between $10 and $21 per pound. This is one of the simplest ground covers to plant and maintain. It creates a flat bedding of bright green leaves that look and smell great. This ground cover may freeze in colder temperatures but naturally regrows once the cold weather breaks. You have to water Corsican mint regularly, though it doesnt require as much as natural grass.
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When Can You Expect To Enjoy Your New Lawn
How long it takes for grass seed to grow will depend on which geographic area of the country you live in and your climate, and the specific type of grass seed you have sown. There is a broad range of growth cycles, ranging from three to 28 days before you might see the new seed develop into actual grass.
If you have managed your watering and caretaking well, with a little patience and diligence, you should end up with a beautiful-looking lawn that will add aesthetic appeal to your home for years to come.
