Spreading And Nurturing The Seed
Aerate First Overseed Second
Overseeding before aeration will probably result in some fresh grass, but most of the seeds wont be able to grow. The seeds wont be able to sprout for the same reasons that your grass was beginning to wilt: poor soil, compaction, insufficient water, excess thatch, and poor air circulation. You can rent an aerator from a local hardware store, but its probably more cost effective to hire a lawn care professional to do it for you. Aerating the soil is a simple process, but it does wonders for a yard. Heres how it works:
- The summer sun compacts the soil of your lawn so its difficult for key ingredients to get to the root of your grass
- Aeration creates thousands of tiny holes throughout your yard, loosening up the soil
- These holes, or aerations, allow nutrients, water, fertilizer, and air easy access to the roots of your grass
- Strong roots grow deeper into the soil and are more susceptible to drought and harsh temperatures
Seed And Fertiliser Spreader
Spreading grass seed and fertiliser is pretty easy to do by hand if you only have a small lawn.
That said, its much more accurate with a spreader and if you have a big lawn, its really the only way to do it.
You can buy small, handheld spreaders for small areas or wheeled, broadcast spreaders for larger lawns.
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Water Immediately And Maintain Your New Lawn
As with overseeding, the ground needs to stay moist until germination has completed, which for most seeds occurs within a couple of weeks. Some, however, can take up to a month. Again, check your seed instructions to understand germination time for your specific seed. Once you start to see germination, you can cut back on watering. Dont overwater, as you could potentially wash seeds away. Hold off on resuming your mowing schedule until you feel youve reached the point where germination is complete.
How To Spread Grass Seeds On Your Lawn
When spreading new grass seeds, you want to ensure an even spread, unless youre just targeting bare patches.
You dont have to be perfectly even though. As long as you have a good spreading technique, you can do it by hand.
However, grass seed spreaders do make the job a lot easier, especially for larger gardens. Theyre recommended if youre overseeding your entire lawn, because they make it much easier to ensure an even spread over large areas.
In terms of seed quantity, there should be instructions on the packet, as it depends on the type of grass seed. A good rule of thumb is to ensure that there is at least one seed pellet every two square inches.
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Overseeding A Lawn In Spring
If your lawn is not performing up to your expectations, you can re-establish a healthier, better-looking lawn by overseeding it. The best time to overseed an existing lawn is from late summer to early fall, but it can still be a success when done in spring.
Jonathan Green supplies genetically superior cool-season grass seed, soil enhancers, fertilizer, and organic lawn and garden products to professional customers, including sod growers and independent home and garden retailers across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, and now the Western United States.
So When Is Sod A Good Idea
Sod is a great quick fix. It might be good for an open house or to sell a home quickly and you dont have a chance to let the grass grow.
It can be good for instant beautification for weddings or venues so long as you dont have to maintain the yard thereafter.
But honestly, other than that, there are not a lot of great reasons to choose sod over seed. It may take longer but you will be rewarded greatly in the long run with a healthy lawn, healthy grass and a lawn to last.
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Why Should You Overseed Your Lawn
Overseeding of an existing lawn is an important part of lawn maintenance, explains Jonathan Hill from Rolawn . The effort you put in during the autumn months will improve the quality and health of your lawn well into the following spring and beyond. It will naturally thicken your lawn and improve the lawn’s overall appearance and resistance to pests.
Overseeding a lawn is a great lawn repairing tip to fill in thin, bare patches, reduce weed and moss invasion, and bolster areas of high use such as where pets or children play, Jonathan continues.
How Often Should You Overseed Your Lawn
Ignoring recommended seeding rates Dont overdo or cut corners. Too much grass seed causes undue competition for resources such as light, water and nutrients, and grass seedlings struggle as a result. Grasses are thin or stunted because of too little seed.
Under-sowing or under fertilizing leaves grasses weak and weak-willed, which makes them susceptible to disease and pests. Over-planting can also lead to soil compaction and loss of soil moisture, both of which can affect the health of your lawn.
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Will Crimson Clover Reseed Itself
In order for crimson clover to reseed itself, there has to be sufficient moisture through April. For winter annual use, crimson clover should be seeded 6-8 weeks before the first average frost date. Crimson clover can be over-seeded in crops such as corn and used after short rotation crops such as snap beans.
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Tip: Reduce the recommended seeding rate by one-half and cover the area twice, in two directions, leaving a cross-hatch seeded pattern at a 45º angle.
Note: Whether or not a chemical such as Glyphosate is used, it usually works better to overseed new grass into the old, undisturbed turf, even if it is dead, rather than start with bare dirt. Overseeding is faster and easier than completely digging up the soil, and it leaves some cover to protect against wind or water erosion of the soil surface.
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Which Months Are Best For Overseeding
There are two periods each year that are ideal for overseeding a lawn with cool season grass seed spring and fall .
Most overseeding is done in the spring when homeowners see the damage to their lawns at the end of a long winter. Consequently, they are motivated to improve the lawn, and most have great success when they Use Black Beauty genetically superior grass seed mixtures, and follow the simple steps to successful overseeding.
Still, early fall is the very best time to overseed, when the air is cooling down, but the soil is still warm. Weed growth tapers off in the fall, so your new grass wont have to compete for sunshine, water and nutrients. It will also have the benefit of two cool growing cycles before the heat of summer sets in.
Clover Adds Nutrients Into Your Lawn
The clover plant is a legume, and uses bacteria to pull nitrogen from the air into the soil.
Thats why having clover on your lawn acts almost as a sort of fertilizer. You may find you dont even have to apply extra fertilization when you have lots of clover, as it delivers nitrogen from its roots to neighboring grass.
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Its Time To Spread The Seed
Once you have prepared the area by mowing the grass, raking, and choosing your seed, it is time to spread the seed. Be sure to check the seed label to know the rate of overseeding.
Using a lawn spreader, available at most home improvement and gardening stores, spread the seed around your lawn.
Spreading the seed is a pretty self-explanatory process however, it is important to do it when the air is calm. Do NOT try to spread the seed on a windy day, as you will ultimately miss your lawn and waste your seed. Likewise, working when the air is calm ensures even distribution of the seed.
How To Choose The Ideal Mower
Choosing the right lawn mower for the job provides a smooth, clean cut, and makes the most of your mowing time. Choose from these common lawn mower types:
- Manual reel mower Environmentally friendly and quiet, manual push mowers rely on your strength and energy to mow. Theyre a good choice for small, flat lawns.
- Electric mower Available in corded and cordless models, electric lawn mowers are less noisy than gas mowers and great for small yards. Corded mowers stay plugged into electrical outlets as you mow. Rechargeable cordless models offer more freedom, but they may need a recharge mid-mow.
- Gas-powered push mower Walk-behind, gas-powered mowers have more power and maneuver more easily than manual and electric types, especially when theyre self-propelled. They are ideal for medium-sized lawns.
- Riding mower or lawn tractor For large or sloped lawns, a riding mower or lawn tractor is the best option, allowing you to get a big job done fast.
- Mulching mower Designed to chop up grass clippings as you mow, mulching mowers leave small clippings on your lawn. Mulched grass clippings left on healthy lawns add nutrients and encourage beneficial microorganisms in the soil.1
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First Lets Talk About Some Benefits And Disadvantages Of Seeding A Lawn Versus Sod
Lets talk about what you have there now. Do you have a blank canvas to work with or are you going to have to start over? Examine the lawn for any weeds first. If your lawn has more than 50% weeds, moss, tough thatch, or clover, it may be time for a do-over.
Test your soil. This is a part of any successful lawn project. Testing can eliminate the guesswork on what type of nutrients to add to the soil and what type of seed or sod to use.
How Much Does It Cost To Overseed A Lawn
Hiring a professional lawn care service to overseed your lawn costs about $1,000 on average for materials and labor .
If you overseed your own lawn, youll spend between 1 cent and 15 cents per square foot of lawn for the grass seed itself, depending on the grass type and the brand of seed. Remember to factor fertilizer, topsoil, and other necessary supplies into your total DIY cost.
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How Long Does It Take Grass Seed To Germinate And Grow
Grass seed can take from 5-30 days to germinate and this depends on several factors which include
- The type of grass seed you choose
- How much moisture and warmth is in the soil
- The weather in general, and
- How fertile the ground is
That said, most people should see germination within a couple of weeks.
What How And Why To Do So Now Dormant Seeding
Youve spent the spring and summer mowing, weeding, fertilizing, and edging your lawn. Now as winter sets in, you want to think youre done for the season.
Not so fast! The billbugs and sod webworms have taken a toll on your lawn. Theres now work to do if you want that thick carpet of grass next spring.
Dormant seeding is a method of reseeding in cool soil, just before the cold weather sets in. It works best when snow quickly covers the seeds, letting them sleep until the soil warms again in spring.
USDAzones are guidelines to determine what kind of plants grow in various climatesand topography. Colorados U. S. Department of PlantHardiness Zones are from 3a to 7a an average extreme temperature range of35 degrees below zero to zero. Colorados climate yields average lowtemperatures in the upper teens during the winter. Reseeding in late October tomid-November keeps you from having to prepare the soil when its wet and coldduring the spring.
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Does Overseeding Really Work
Overseeding newer turfgrass varieties into an older lawn can help it better withstand insects, disease, drought, shady conditions and heavy traffic. The amount of water,fertilizer, and other inputs needed to maintain the lawn is reduced by the investment in overseeding. Overseding older turfgrasses can also reduce the cost of maintaining the turf.
For example, an overseeded lawn will require less fertilizer and water than a lawn that has not been over-seeded. Overseeding also reduces the need for pesticides and herbicides, which can be expensive to purchase and maintain.
What Is The Difference Between Lawn Dressing And Topsoil
When To Use Which If the soil has been washed away by rain, you can top this up and improve the garden’s appearance by using topsoil. Lawn dressing is simply used to dress or top the lawn, and in places where the grass has been flattened by heavy traffic, it can be used to improve this and level this area.
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Analyze The Cause Of Barren Spots
Youll want to understand why you have barren spots. If its because of high traffic and pets, its probably pretty self-explanatory, so youll want to consider a turf seed known for handling high-traffic areas that can grow in your climate. However, if youre not sure why you have dead spots, you may need to take a soil sample to find out if there is a fungus, disease, or insect issue.
Why And When To Overseed The Lawn
Overseeding is as simple as it sounds. You plant new grass seed in your lawns troubled spots. But its benefits go much deeper. You should consider overseeding because:
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What Time Of Year Should I Overseed In The Uk
The time of year that you overseed your grass actually matters more than you might think. Picking the best time to overseed is actually quite important.
If you do it at the wrong time of year, your new seeds wont grow, and youll have wasted your time. And there are only a few months of the year where lawn overseeding is most effective.
In the UK, you likely have a cool-season grass, such as tall fescue or perennial ryegrass, which does better in our colder climate. If you have cool-season grass, the best time to overseed your lawn is in late summer or early autumn in the months of August or September.
This is because lawn overseeding works best when your lawn is already growing well. However, you dont want to overseed at the beginning of summer and overheat your new seeds.
Also, during these months, there is generally consistent rainfall in the UK, helping to keep your grass seeds moist as they germinate. However, you may also want to consider when it rains in your local area, as well as your soil type, as you dont want to introduce too much moisture. You also need to be careful to avoid making your grass too wet when you water your lawn.
Clay soils for example will hold their water better than sandy soils, which can cause issues for new grass seeds. And its very hard for new grass seeds to grow in a waterlogged lawn.
For Overseeding Preparation Is Key
When you begin to overseed your lawn, you have to prepare the area. To prepare your lawn for overseeding:
- Mow your lawn shorter than you normally would.
- Remove all of the clippings .
- Loosen the turf with a rake.
Mow your lawn shorter than usual to improve the percentage of seed that contacts the soil.
Youll also want to delay mowing your new grass after overseeding. Mowing your lawn close will buy you some extra time before you have to mow. Mowing too early can rip your new grass out because it wont have strong enough roots.
For normal mowing I recommend mowing 1/3 of the grass length. When overseeding, get closer to 2/3 of the grass length cut and raked.
After mowing and bagging your clippings,, rake over the area to remove all excess clippings and debris and to begin to turn over the soil, so it is ready to receive the new seed.
Raking is a good way to loosen the soil in your lawn so your grass seed has good contact. Without good soil contact, your seed wont germinate and grow.
I go over my lawn with an iron rake to loosen the turf, but you can core aerate your lawn or use a dethatcher to expose the soil and get good seed-to-soil contact as well.
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