How to Overseeding Your Lawn: A Simple and Fun Guide

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It’s relaxing to unwind in a garden with a lush lawn and colorful flowers. It’s fun to spend some quality time with family in the yard with green turf and customized landscape.

A dark green lawn gets thin and patchy over time, and proper upkeep should not be overlooked. You have removed existing weeds, dethatched the lawn, applied grass seed to bare spots, or mowed the grass.

What’s next? It’s time to overseed the turf.

What is overseeding?

When and how to overseed the lawn?

What are the benefits of a well-maintained turf?

Let’s find out.

What is Overseeding?

It is a process of seeding over a specific area of grass that doesn’t perform at its best. It is done to get rid of patchy turf or dormant grass in the long winter season. Overseeding is effective, safe, cost-effective, and reliable.

Signs to Overseed the Lawn – It’s easy to determine if your turf needs some overseeding treatment. There are visible signs and here are some of them:

Brown patches across the yard – The landscape is superb. The flowers are healthy and vibrant. The shrubs are in perfect condition. Brown patches on the lawn can ruin everything. It can be an eyesore, and overseeding is a lifesaver.

The grass looks worn out – A worn-out lawn can be due to compacted soil, thatch, poor nutrition, wrong grass, and shade. A professional overseeding can come into play. The soil gets fertile while the grass starts to be dark green.

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It has been years since your last treatment – The lawn should be overseeded once every three years. Without regular and proper treatment, the turf starts to lose its ability to germinate and grow. Overseeding brings fresh lawn growth.

Thin and damaged lawn – Foot or vehicle traffic is one of the common culprits of thin or damaged turf. Overseeding will be the best treatment, and hiring an expert is worth the cost.

What is Overseeding

The Best Season to Overseed a Lawn

It depends on the type of seed. For different species, spring is the best season.

When preparing for the long cold winter, make sure to put down the seed in early fall. Intensive maintenance or proper irrigation is a must. A DIY management is not a bright idea. It’s helpful to contact the right professional.

The germination temperature for most grasses ranges from 59 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. When heavy snow is expected, reschedule the treatment to break down the costs and reduce efforts.

How to Overseed the Lawn?

Overseeding the lawn is a tedious task. To get started, follow these simple steps:

Prepare – What to Do Before the Treatment?

Before we get our floor waxed, we remove the food crumbs, debris, and other dirt particles.

Overseeding is no exception. It is important to prepare the turf before the treatment. How is it done? You have to mow the lawn, especially when it’s dry. Get rid of waste from the surface. Use a feature-packed mower and other necessary tools.

After an hour of mowing, rake the turf to break up the layers of dead thatch and matted grass. Invest in a modern and quality rake for future use. Don’t spend on a cheap product. Competitively priced rakes will be your best shot.

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How will you deal with the compacted ground? Loosen it up! You have to spike the soil of at least 15cm deep. Yes, it requires extra effort and attention. But it will improve drainage and root growth, too.

Seed – Things to Remember During the Procedure

You have prepared the lawn. You’ve removed the thatch. Seeding is next, and there’s an array of options to pick. These include Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, fine fescue, tall fescue, zoysiagrass, Bermuda grass, St. Augustine grass, and centipede grass.

Kentucky bluegrass is ideal for places in moderate temperatures. Self-repairing and durable, this type is ideal for heavy traffic.

When mixing grasses, perennial ryegrass should be on top of your mind. Similar to Kentucky bluegrass, it can hold heavy traffic.

The fine fescue, on the other hand, prefers shade. It is used for filling in areas where other grasses can’t grow. However, it cannot handle foot traffic.

A tall fescue is a popular option for places with extreme drought. It can withstand the heat while adding aesthetic value to your turf.

Whether it’s a Bermuda or St. Augustine grass, sow the seed by hand or with the right spreader.

For larger areas, take advantage of a push broadcast spreader. For small areas, a handheld spreader is an incredible investment.

Water – Long-Term Maintenance

After seeding, feed the lawn with the perfect fertilizer to ensure successful germination. Regular watering can keep the seedbed moist. When grasses reach 40 or 50mm, don’t forget to mow them.

Benefits of Overseeding Your Lawn

Overseeding rejuvenates the lawn, improves its luster, fill in patches, strengthens the grass, protects it from the invasion of diseases, helps retain its color in summer, and develops stronger roots. Here are the other benefits:

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Reduce Erosion – Grasses have compact root systems that provide a binding effect. So, an overseeded lawn ensures both water and soil stay at the root zone, improving the overall health of your turf.

Improve Performance – A small or large planted lawn is inviting. It boosts home’s curb appeal, changes your mood, and impresses guests.

Reduce the Risk of Diseases and Pests – The turf is less permeable to dollar spot, Pythium blight, brown patch, summer patch, rust, red thread, mushroom fairy ring, slime mold, and nematodes. It is also a great nesting place for insects. These include white grubs, sod webworms, ants, armyworms, billbugs, digging mammals, cutworms, fiery skippers, fleas, hornets, leafhoppers, leatherjackets, mole crickets, mosquitoes, snails, and ticks. A healthy lawn, however, can combat these pests and diseases in the long run.

There’s no Chemical Needed – Overseeding does not require any toxic chemicals. Homeowners can utilize natural and organic alternatives. Popular options include grass clippings, weeds, kitchen scraps, manure, tree leaves, coffee grounds, eggshells, and banana peels.

Other Pros

A healthy turf promotes physical activity, boosts mental wellbeing, offers a safety barrier, reduces the level of pollutants, keeps the residential property cool, avoids a pile of electric bills, improves groundwater, and serves as a noise pollution barrier.

Brown patches? Pest infestation? Thin grasses? Overseeding is the number one treatment you cannot afford to miss!

Source: Gardening101

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