How To Apply The Overseeding On The Soil
Once the soil is prepared, the reseeding can be spread. Since the grass seeds should be spread very evenly, a spreader is also suitable for this purpose. Make sure that there is no wind. Grass seeds are very small and light and quickly evaporate. Once the lawn seeds are distributed on the ground, there are two different approaches to how you can proceed.
Option one suggests you firm up to reseed a bit, otherwise, it will blow away the next day. You can either use a lawn roller, which you can borrow from a hardware store for a small amount of money, or you can use treads. Some amateur gardeners also just tread them down carefully if the areas are small.
Other gardeners suggest working to reseed into the soil with a rake. This also prevents the seeds from flying away. Which of the two you choose has long been a debate that has yet to produce a proven result.
When Can I Use Weed Control On My New Grass
When youre growing new grass, you want to create an ideal environment for seed to germinate. Naturally, weeds may want to join the party. But they arent invited!
In your quest for a weed-free lawn, its important that you dont use any preventive or curative weed control products until youve mowed your newly planted grass about two to three times — or approximately four to six weeks after seeding. This ensures you give your seeds the chance to germinate and the lawn to establish itself.
What Month Is Good For Reseeding A Yard
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Reseeding a yard is a complex task that involves learning a number of different elements of lawn care. While not a difficult job, it does depend on a number of factors: your climate, your existing type of grass, your altitude, the local weather forecast for temperatures and rain, when your lawn was last treated with chemicals, and the traffic patterns of your lawn. It also requires you to set aside a few days to devote to the job. Once all the stars are aligned, only then should you start spreading the seeds to ensure a lush, green lawn.
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What Do You Need To Pay Special Attention To When Reseeding Your Lawn
To reseed your lawn, you dont have to completely redo everything. Often, spots recover well and its easier and more enjoyable than reseeding the entire area. Plus, you can still walk on the rest of the lawn, which is a big advantage. Because this also makes watering much easier.
But so you dont have to fret any further, weve put together what you should definitely look out for when reseeding lawns.
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Revive Your Lawn By Overseeding
Is your lawn looking thin and brown? Well, Scotts can help you get back to the thick, lush, green lawn you’ve always wanted and all you need to do is overseed. If you put down a layer of seed over your lawn in the spring or fall, the thin areas will thicken up, and your lawn will start to look terrific again.
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So Whats The Lesson For Your Lawn
Plant your seeds as autumn approaches, Curtin says, though you might consider waiting until mid-September, pushing the schedule back a few weeks later than golf courses do. Why? In its early stages, newly planted grass is delicate and demanding. It needs food and a lot of water, but not so much water that you drown it. Thats a tricky balance to strike.
Because most golf courses have sophisticated irrigation systems, they can handle the high-maintenance demands of newly planted grass in late August. Most homeowners do not have such precise equipment. They also might not have the free time and attention it takes to stay on top of proper irrigation during this fragile phase of growth.
If you wait until mid-September, when the temperatures are a little cooler, youll have more margin for error. That wiggle room will come in handy as you strive for that happy medium: watering your grass enough to prevent it from drying out and dying, but also not so much that you soak it to death.
When To Seed Your Lawn
In general, early fall is the best time to seed your lawn with Jonathan Green cool-season grass seeds. The soil is warm, air temperatures are cooler, autumn rains are more plentiful, and weeds are less active, all of which creates an excellent environment for seed germination before leaves start falling and the winter cold arrives.
With the right amount of moisture, fertilizer, and sunlight, your new grass seedlings will have the benefit of two cool growing cycles before the heat of summer arrives. The newly planted grass will be able to grow and develop roots right up to Christmas if conditions are right.
The second-best time for planting cool-season grass seed is spring . Spring sunshine and rain contribute to strong grass growth, but be sure that daytime temperatures have warmed up to 60° to 70°F before you get started.
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Breaking The Spring Seeding Cycle
Break the Spring Seeding Cycle:
As winter breaks and temperatures warm up, many spend some time outdoors, working in the lawn and garden areas, enjoying the sun and making a list of things to get done this year. As we look at the lawn, we often see thin or bare areas, weedy areas, and parts of the lawn we just wish looked better. We get excited as the days get warmer, and we decide, this year, I am going to fix this lawn up. A trip to the store follows, bringing home grass seed, fertilizer, maybe lime, and perhaps even straw for the more ambitious of us. That spring, we work so hard, getting the areas worked up, seeded, fertilized, and maybe even applying lime, and then covering our newly planted seeds with straw. We drag hoses, followed by watering, watering, and more watering, and watch with satisfaction as our new grass comes up, looking great, and all spring our level of satisfaction is high.
Does any of this sound familiar?
This sequence of events is all too common, and leaves the homeowner feeling frustrated having spent time, energy, and money only to have no improvement at the end of the season. However, not only do we have an explanation for why this happens, we also have a solution! It is time to break the spring seeding cycle.
The Problems with Spring Seeding:
So what does all this mean?
The New Strategy:
Will Overseeding Be Sufficient To Improve The Quality Of Your Lawn Or Must You Perform Complete Lawn Renovation
If a lawn area has more than 40-50% weeds or the lawn has been left unmanaged for a period of time, total lawn renovation is most likely needed. Removing or killing the existing vegetation then reseeding or installing sod takes a lot of effort. Begin a lawn maintenance program to prevent this from happening again.
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Preparing The Ground For Planting
After selecting and purchasing the seed, its time to prepare the soil for the planting process. This is a very important step in knowing how to plant grass seed successfully. The tender roots of young grass plants will not grow well in compacted soils so its essential that this step be done properly. Here are instructions for prepping the ground to overseed bare spots in an established lawn and instructions on how to prepare for planting grass seed in a large bare area.
Preparation for seeding a bare spot in the lawn: Begin by using a cultivator to remove the dead grass. If its a small spot, use a hand cultivator. If its a larger spot, use a diamond hoe or warren hoe. Then, dig up the area down to a depth of two or three inches with a shovel or trowel. Loosen the soil and break up any clumps.
Preparation for planting grass seed in a large bare area: If you want to know how to plant grass seed in larger areas successfully, begin by loosening the top three to five inches of soil. Use a rototiller for the job if its a very large lawn area. Use a shovel or hoe if its an area thats just a few square feet.
Whether the area is small or large, after loosening the soil, its time to rake it smooth. Use a bow rake or a seeding rake to further break up any soil clods and rake the soil out into fine particles and a smooth finish. Use the tines of the rake to smash any large clumps of dirt if necessary.
Is This A New Home Site Does The Soil Need To Be Amended
On new home sites, it is a common practice for the topsoil to be removed during construction. The remaining subsoil is less fertile, compacted, and often building debris, stones, and rubble is left behind. This soil produces a poor quality lawn. Ideally, improve the soil before planting by mixing compost into the top 6 inches of the soil and raking out any debris and rocks.
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Seeding Your Lawn Vs Laying Sod
The average cost of laying sod depends on the size of the lawn. Therefore, it is less expensive to lay sod in small areas. Laying grass shows results immediately vs. seeding the yard, which will take at least a month to see the grass results. However, the larger the area, the more expensive the sod becomes.
What Month Should I Sow Grass Seed
One of the most important things to consider when youre sowing grass seed is the weather. You want to make sure that its not too hot or too cold outside.
If its too hot, the grass seed will dry out and die.
If its too cold, the grass seed wont be able to germinate.
Lawns are generally sown between March and October as long as the seed can be watered especially during dry spells.
The growing season is more dependent on the actual weather and not set months for example a mild winter can open up the growing season if there are no frosts about.
The most important environmental condition other than moisture is a constant soil temperature of more than 8°C otherwise lawn grass wont grow!
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The Best Of The Best In Indiana
The very best time to seed your lawn in Indiana is in fall when cooler temperatures prevent seeds from drying out, but theres still enough sun and rain to encourage a strong start before winter hibernation. Because crabgrass and other weeds die off this time of year, seeds also have a better chance for success without a lot of competition. Spring comes in a close second with cool conditions and plenty of moisture. And while timing is of the essence, so is a little research.
This year, weve done it for you! Check out this list of Indianas most common lawn grasses, their strengths, and potential weaknesses. It all depends on your lawn requirements. Just below, youll also find a list of Execu-Turf grass seed blends that bring the best of all varieties together.
Indianas Common Lawn Grasses
BLUEGRASS
- FOR NEW LAWNS: 3lb/1000sq ft or 130lb/acre
- OVERSEEDING: 4-5lb/1000sq ft
How To Overseed Or Reseed Your Lawn In 10 Easy Steps
In order to avoid a lawn that looks like a barren desert, you need to know how to reseed your lawn. By following these simple steps, you can create a beautiful and healthy lawn that will last for years.
Seeding a lawn is the process of planting new grass seed in an area where the grass is thin or missing. There are two ways to do this: overseeding and reseeding. Overseeding is the best way to fill in small patches of thin or balding grass. Reseeding is done when you want to replace your lawns grass completely.
Overseeding is the technique of seeding an existing lawn. It is often done in the fall when the weather is cool and the days are shorter. The new seed will germinate and grow slowly over the winter so that by the time spring arrives, your lawn will be thicker and fuller.
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Preparing The Soil For A New Lawn
Before applying the seed is the best time to kill off the weeds.
Dont put the seed down and try to kill off the weeds later because especially in the uk it can be difficult to target some of those types of weeds because there arent any selective weed killers for certain weed grasses like POA Aunnua and other grasses you dont want in your lawn.
Make sure you leave enough time after applying weed killer before planting new seeds and follow the manufacturer recommendations
Till over the soil so youve got a nice seed bed for the soil to sit in and refer back to a previous tip which is sit them in the top quarter inch of the soil
Which Seed Should You Use
If you want the best-looking grass in the neighborhood, be sure to choose the highest quality grass seed. Jonathan Green Black Beauty® grass seed mixtures look and feel so much like Kentucky Bluegrass that even the pros have a hard time distinguishing Black Beauty® from Bluegrass.
Jonathan Green Black Beauty® grass seeds are:
- Deeply rooted
- Disease resistant
- Drought tolerant because of the invisible waxy leaf coating that preserves moisture in the plant .
- Naturally dark green in color
- Uniform in leaf size and texture
- Contain Endophytes for natural insect resistance
To encourage your new grass seed to grow quicker and thicker, we highly recommend Green-Up Lawn Food for Seeding & Sodding. This high-phosphorus formula helps to build a vigorous root system, gets new grass plantings off to a fast start for a thicker, greener lawn, and will continue feeding your lawn for up to two months.
Look no further than Jonathan Green for information about when is the best time to put grass seed down and how to get the very best results. Visit us online or find your local independent home and garden retailer where youll receive excellent lawn care advice.
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The Best Time To Overseed Grass
Overseeding means planting new grass to fill in any bare or worn patches. This is helpful for having a gorgeous lawn that looks thick and healthy all year long. The best time to overseed depends on two factors: where you live and what kind of grass you prefer.
Many homeowners in northern states choose cool-season grasses, and southern areas often select warm-season grasses. Each type of grass has distinctive growth patterns and needs, so make sure to speak with our lawn professionals if youre not sure what variety to choose. Here are the optimal overseeding times for several locations and grass types:
- Pacific Northwest : Plant new grasses about six weeks before the first projected snowfall. These are generally cool-season grasses.
- Southwest U.S. : Early spring is the best time for overseeding in these areas.
- Southern states : April, May and June are good times to overseed in this huge area. The best time may vary each year depending on soil temperatures. You want warm-season grass to have a cozy environment to germinate in.
- Northeast states : Due to the cold temperatures prevalent in these areas, its best to start planting grass seeds in August or September to give them some time to grow before winter hits.
- Midwest U.S. : Weather conditions vary quite a bit depending on how far north you live, but a safe bet is to overseed lawns by the end of August or early September at the latest.
Best Time To Aerate And Overseed Your Lawn
Theres nothing better than a lush lawn that lets you spend time with your family in the back yard, laughing and having fun. But, to keep grass healthy, techniques such as overseeding and aeration are important. This leads us to the question, when is the best time to aerate and overseed your lawn?
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Tip : Choose The Right Seed
The fourth tip is around choice of seed, you really want to choose a seed thats suitable for your application.
If you need a hard wearing lawn you want to go for a premium hardwearing grass seed mix and suitable for high foot traffic.
Maybe its in an area youve got to walk across to get from one part of the garden to another and maybe youve got kids and pets but if youve got high foot traffic probably dont expect to have a ornamental type of lawn that needs lower foot traffic and maybe different types of maintenance.
There are also grass seeds designed for clay soils such as the Clay King and mixes of grass for shaded areas
Pick the seed type thats suitable for your application!
Another thing you might want to consider is around shade, now by shady this is going to be things like tall trees making a canopy, buildings or fences whereby parts of the soil or the grass doesnt get much light throughout the day.
How To Maximize The Timing Advantage
Even when you plant your grass seed at the best possible time, your lawn still needs help to thrive. Whether this is your first lawn or you’re the neighborhood expert, take some advice from turf professionals and get to know your grasses and your soil before you start seeding. Follow through on best practices for preparing and planting and don’t neglect traditional tasks, such as fall lawn care, that help keep your grass and soil healthy, well-nourished and ready to support new growth.
Do your research to understand what’s in a bag of grass seed and the company behind the seed. Pennington is committed to producing the finest grass seed products possible and providing you with educational resources to help your seed project succeed. By timing your lawn tasks properly, you can maximize your advantage and seed your way to the lawn of your dreams.
Pennington, Smart Seed and One Step Complete are trademarks of Pennington Seed, Inc.
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