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When To Reseed Your Lawn

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What About The Summer

Are You Prepared To Reseed Your Lawn?

Summer is the best time reseed your lawn, right now! Just kidding: The summer is a great time to..go fishing or camping. Dont try reseeding a lawn in the heat of June, July, or the super hot August. Summer should be spent enjoying your yard, not so much working on it. You prepare the property in other months so summer can be spent relaxing by a fire pit at night and cooking out on the peaceful patio at supper time.

Overseeding An Existing Lawn

You can overseed at other times of the year. Spring , is also a favourite time for overseeding. Just remember grass seed germination relies on two main factors soil temperature, and moisture. Grass seed needs soil temperatures to be at least 7-8 degrees celsius, and frequent rainfall is important to ensure the seed germinates. See also: How long does seed take to grow.

The area to be over-sown should ideally be closely mown and then scarified or in some way prepared in order that the seeds can be carefully incorporated into the surface mineral soil bypassing any thatch or organic matter present at the surface.

Select a suitable mixture of grass seed using the Lawn UK lawn wizard.

Ideally, sow the seed after the ground has been thoroughly wetted by a good fall of rain.

Mix the seed in a bucket with equal proportions of a suitable carrier such as general purpose compost and sand a light garden soil could be used but would need to be sterilised in order to eliminate the numerous weed seeds liable to be present.

For best results, the mixture needs to be moist and spread evenly over the target areas.

The use of a compound fertiliser such as a proprietary lawn feed which is low in nitrogen is also likely to be necessary and would be instrumental in hastening seedling establishment and recovery of the existing lawn.

Keep off the newly over-seeded area if possible until new seedlings are firmly anchored.

When To Overseed Your Lawn

The best time to overseed your lawn depends on where you live. In the cooler northern climates, the best time to overseed is in late summer to early fall. In fall the soil is warm enough to support germination, but the temperatures arent too extreme for the tender new grass to develop before winter sets in. Soil moisture needed for germination is more favorable as well. Spring is an alternate time if not completed in fall, but do as early as possible to allow seedlings enough time to establish before summer heat begins.

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Should I Rake Dead Grass Before Seeding

Its important to rake dead grass before seeding to allow more air and water to reach the soil and facilitate germination. Removing dead grass by raking also allows direct soil contact between the new grass seeds and the soil. Full contact between soil and seeds results in better rooting and healthy turf development.

Raking dead grass also allows you to see which areas of your dying turf have more bare patches than live grass. You can spread the grass seed accordingly, ensuring you sow more seeds in the bare areas.

Note: You can choose to leave dead grass on your lawn and let it decompose. But this usually takes up to 2 months which might be too long before you can reseed your yard.

Add The Finishing Touches Stripes

Lawns: How to Reseed

Please tell me the reason you want to overseed is to get some beautiful stripes in your grass. Well the final trick to achieving those stripes is soo simple its untrue.

ALl you need is a rear-roller lawn mower, thne mow up and down the lawn to and from the direction in which you look at the grass.

That way youll be able to admire your work from wherever your are.

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What To Do To Reseed The Lawn: Three Steps To Renewed Greenery

If you are ready to sow your new lawn, the only question that remains is how to do it. But dont worry, in this section, well explain in three simple steps what you need to consider and how to proceed. Follow these three steps and follow the tips and hints for sowing, then nothing will stand in the way of your desired lawn.

Professional Lawn Care Help

After you overseed your lawn, your grass will be thicker and healthier. If you want to keep it that way, you have to put in the work to maintain it consistently.

Proper lawn maintenance includes cutting the grass every one or two weeks during its growing season. Mowing the lawn on a regular schedule encourages the grass to grow in a dense mat.

Dont have time for all that mowing? Dont sweat it weekly service from LawnStarters local lawn care pros is only a click away.

Main Photo Credit: Shutterstock

Also Check: How To Get Rid Of Purple Weeds On Lawn

Can I Put Grass Seed Down In April

The growth of cool-season grasses could be affected by summer heat. Warm-season grasses are supposed to be planted in the late spring or early summer. If you want to get the most out of your grass seed, you should plant it in April.

If you dont have a lot of time to wait for the grass to germinate, its a good idea to plant it as soon as possible. If you wait too long, the seedlings wont be able to take the heat and will die before they can take root. This will give you the best chance of success.

When To Reseed Lawn In Fall

How to Reseed a Lawn

My lawn is in desperate need of maintenance after a long dry summer and having a dog which also brings all the other neighborhood dogs to our front yard. I swear you can almost hear my yard whispering UNCLE!

My husband loves doing yard work, so watching his beloved grass turn splotchy and dry pains him. You can imagine his excitement when I partnered with Grass Seed USA to bring you all the lawn tips youll ever need! One of the main reasons Ive decided to work with them is because the best grass seed comes from Oregon Grass Seed Farmers! Being originally from Oregon and born in the Willamette Valley, I am very familiar with these farms. How do you know if the grass seed youre buying is from Oregon? Just turn it over and youll see it listed right on the back.

This particular bag we bought is from Tangent. Thats right outside our capital of Salem Oregon.

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Can You Sprinkle Grass Seed On Top Of Soil

Will grass seed grow on the surface of the soil is a common question that we get asked. Yes is the simple answer to this.

I know if my seed is ready to be sown?¶ The best way to tell if your seeds are ready for sowing is to see if they sprout. If they do, then youre good to go.

However, if you dont see any sprouts after a few days, you may need to wait until the next growing season to sow again.

Dont Be Afraid To Mow

When new seedings grow to a height of 2 ½ to 3 inches, mowing of these stands should commence. This is typically three weeks after seeding if soil moisture has been adequate. You want to be sure that you mow new seedings before new plants begin laying down on the ground forming a mat. Be careful when turning the lawn mower, particularly with riding mowers, as young grass seedlings can easily be torn from the seedbed before their root systems are fully established.

It is best to mow new seedings with a sharp blade, so get that mower blade sharpened now, and you will be ahead of the game for next spring.

With a little effort this fall, your lawn will be lush, green, and healthy next spring and youâll spend more time on your patio swing and less time caring for the lawn.

Mike Hogan is an associate professor at Ohio State University and an educator at the OSU Extension.

Also Check: How To Prepare Lawn For Sod

Create A Healthy Lawn By Starting Over

Lets get this straight right from the get-go: A healthy lawn doesnt get taken over by weeds. So if it looks like youre raising weeds instead of grass, thats a sign of a more serious problem. And that may mean killing off the grass and starting over. Its a big reseeding lawn project thatll take several weekends and may cost you up to 25¢ per sq. ft. for equipment rentals, soil conditioners and seed. If youre willing to spend more, you can lay sodinstead of planting seed, but dont skip the soil testing and remediation steps. Heres how to balance your soils pH level properly.

Are you ready for a fresh start? Just follow our guide for how to plant grass seed on an existing lawn and youll be the happiest gnomeowner on your block.

How To Weed And Reseed A Lawn

Lawns: How to Reseed

Find out how to remove weeds from your lawn and repair patches in autumn, with the help of this practical guide.

Monday, 23 September, 2019 at 10:00 am

A table displaying which months are best to sow, plant and harvest.

Do not To do in January

F

Do not To do in February

M

Do not To do in March

A

Do not To do in April

M

Do not To do in May

J

Do not To do in June

J

Do not To do in July

A

Do not To do in August

S

Do To do in September

O

Do not To do in October

N

Do not To do in November

D

Autumn is the ideal time to tackle perennial lawn weeds, such as daisies, dandelions and plantain, sowing grass seed in their place. There is still time for the grass seed to germinate before winter.

Ideally, tackle the weeds after a spell of rain, so its easier to push the weeder or trowel down into the soil to dig out any roots. Remove any large clumps of spreading weeds, such as clover and buttercups, using a hand fork.

Heres how to weed and reseed the lawn.

And once your new lawn is established next year, why not invest in some kit to keep it looking in great condition. Our experts have tested the best lawn mowers to buy, as well as the best scarifiers and best aerators.

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S For Reseeding Your Lawn

  • Rake Use a heavy duty rake, a Straight Rake to remove dead grass. You want to loosen the top of the soil about 1/2 inch.
  • Aerify This process is to help soil compaction and thatch build up. Using a hollow-tine core aerator will pull up small plugs of soil at regular intervals. This allows more oxygen, water, and nutrients to reach the grasss roots more easily. You can aerate a couple of ways. You manually aerate, or rent a higher grade machine. We usually go in with the neighbor and rent one this time of year. This way we can share the cost, dont have to store it, and its easier to do a more consistent job.
  • Fertilize This can confuse even the avid home gardener. We always find helpful tips from our local nursery. We do know that while reseeding, youll want to use a starter fertilizer at the time of planting and then follow up with a standard fertilizer four to eight weeks after it germinates. The 3 primary nutrients that cool-season grasses respond well to are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Newly planted lawns or established lawns will need different proportions, thats why its always good to talk to a turf expert.
  • Water Water newly planted grass and frequently if youre not expecting any rainfall. You want the keep the top layer damp until you see the seeds germinate. Once it germinates, you can reduce your watering along with the cooler fall temps and increased rainfall.
  • We are so eager to get our yard in better condition.

    Making A Plan To Overseed Or Reseed Your Lawn

    If youre noticing your lawn is looking a little thin, or the color isnt as bright as it used to be, you may need to overseed or reseed your lawn. Overseeding is the process of adding new seed to an existing lawn while reseeding is planting new seed in an area that has been completely tilled.

    No matter which process you choose, there are a few things youll need to do before getting started:

    • Rake your lawn to remove any dead grass or debris
    • Break up any clumps of soil with a rake or shovel
    • Amend the soil with compost or fertilizer
    • Water the area well

    Once youve prepared the area, its time to choose your seed. If youre overseeding, select a blend that matches the existing grass.

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    Correct Existing Lawn Problems

    For troubles beyond normal thinning, test your soil and make corrections before overseeding. Follow test recommendations for using soil amendments and repairing bare lawn spots. If needed, take time to dethatch and core aerate compacted lawns so air, moisture and seed can get to the soil. Pennington One Step Complete products combine premium seed with a stabilized-release fertilizer and wood mulch to simplify lawn repairs.

    Should I Fertilize Before Or After Overseeding

    How to Reseed a Lawn | This Old House

    If your lawn has not been fertilized recently, it might be a good idea to lay a lawn starter fertilizer before overseeding. Adding fertilizer to your lawn will encourage germination by providing the right nutrients for initial growth. You will want to avoid standard fertilizer for established grass as this rarely has the nutrients needed for root development.

    Recommended Reading: How Do You Seed Your Lawn

    Do Lawns Reseed Themselves

    We let a section of our lawn go wild and cut little paths through the tall grass and wildflowers it looks lovely and the bees and butterflies love it too. So do lawns just keep on growing?

    Lawns can reseed themselves, and it takes two months for most lawn grass varieties to produce seed heads. These heads then disperse naturally or with help from a mower, and take 7-30 days to germinate given enough moisture, sunlight, and heat.

    In this article, were going to look at the lawn reseeding process in more detail and consider what the benefits and drawbacks of letting your grass grow could be

    Quick Navigation

    How Why And When To Reseed Your Lawn

    If you want to ensure your grass is green and lush all year long, youll need to reseed your lawn. It doesnt take too much time to do and can help ensure the health of your lawn for years to come. Read on to find out how to pick the best grass seed, what the step-by-step process of seeding your grass is like, and what you need to keep on top of your lawn maintenance.

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    Why You Should Reseed Your Lawn

    Weeds are opportunistic. They often grow rapidly and spread seed easily. When a turfgrass lawn develops thin, brown, discolored or bare patches, weeds will move in unless new grass is grown to fill in the area.

    Weeds compete with grass for moisture and nutrients and must first be eliminated before reseeding. It is important to identify the underlying cause killing the grass and apply the correct treatment before attempting to regrow grass in the affected areas.

    So When Is Sod A Good Idea

    Restoring a weedy patchy lawn

    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.

    More Landscaping Tips

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    Read Also: What Is The Best Time To Aerate Your Lawn

    How Do You Best Prepare The Reseed For Growing

    Lawns in general need a lot of water in the first period. If you have already laid sod or sown your lawn yourself, you probably remember this. So water to reseed daily for 4 to 6 weeks. On hot summer days, you can also water it in the morning and in the evening. It is important to avoid burning in the initial period.Some gardeners also swear by peat on the reseeding. The peat is supposed to protect the grass seeds from flying away in the wind, as well as cover the reseed so that it cannot be eaten by birds. Peat protects against drying out and also against excessive rain. Because, especially at the beginning, heavy rain can simply wash away the reseed.

    Before You Pick Your Grass Seedit Is Important To Test Your Soil You Can Pick High Quality Grass Seed But Itwont Do Much Growing If The Soil Ph Isnt Balanced Look For Ph Levels Between6 And 75

    Warm Vs. Cool Season Grass Seed: Canadians will want to look for cool season grass seed. This type of seed will ensure your turf will last through winter, and it tends to be more shade-tolerant. Warm season grass seed is for warmer climate countries, like the Caribbean islands and parts of the States .
    Foot-traffic: If youre planting seed on high-traffic areas, youll want to avoid fine fescue as it tends to be more brittle. It wont stand up to those pool parties or soccer games.

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