Overseeding is an important step in lawn care that many people fail to do. If you’re not familiar with the term, it’s simply adding new seed to your grass after your old seed has died out. This ensures that you’ll have a healthy and green lawn all year round! Here are some tips on how to overseed properly:
Table of Contents
1. Make sure your lawn is dead
One common mistake that people make when they are overseeding is doing it when their grass is still alive. To know for sure whether your lawn needs overseeding, simply pull up a piece of grass with the root intact, and cut it in half. If you see seeds or green tissue then there’s no need to overseed! However, if you notice that the root is brown and dry then it’s time to start laying seed.
2. Know what kind of seed to use
There are several different kinds of seed; some grow tall thick stalks (vertical), others stay short and thin (horizontal), and some fall somewhere in between (a blend). The first step to picking which kind of seed to use is evaluating your current lawn. Are there tall thick grasses growing? Or are the stalks thin and wispy? How tall does the grass grow, on average? If you can answer these questions then you’ll have a good idea of what kind of seed to choose.
3. Choose the right season
Most seeds work best between early spring or late summer after most danger of frost has passed. This ensures that they will germinate at the appropriate time. However, some species tend to germinate during other times of year (for example, crabgrass prefers cold weather). For information about which kinds prefer when see this chart: [LINK TO SEED PROPERTIES CHART]
4. Don’t Put Down Too Much
When you’re laying seed it’s important to spread them evenly. If you put too little, then your lawn will be patchy and thin. Which leads to the next tip: don’t put down too much! You’ll know that if your seed does not germinate for a few months, then there could have been an issue with how much you laid in the first place. However, if seeds sprout within days, then it’s possible that there was simply too many laid down to begin with.
5. Keep Track Of Which Areas You Overseeded
The beginning stages of seeding is when most mistakes happen, so keeping track of where you’ve done already can save time later on. Spread your seed out in a pattern that is easy to remember, such as an X or a circle. This way you can check back if you notice that some areas of your lawn are extra green and healthy, and see which spots were already overseeded! Equally important: don’t forget where you started! If you find yourself wondering if your all-green floor is due to your first round of seeding, make sure to keep track on where the first patch was placed.
6. Maintain Regularly
Even after you’ve done everything right, there’s no guarantee that everything will go smoothly; it’s possible that the conditions for germination simply weren’t ideal (such as too cold), or rooster may have eaten your seeds before they could grow. Maintaining your lawn regularly will ensure that you catch issues like this before they become too big to deal with.
7. Don’t Forget About Fertilizing!
After you’ve overseeded it’s important to keep things healthy by adding fertilizer and nutrients back into the soil. If you skip this step, then your grass could be weak and easy to kill off in a heavy storm or a rabbit attack!
8. Enjoy Your New Lawn!
Now that you know how to overseed properly, there’s no reason not to have a green and healthy lawn all year round. Make sure to check back regularly so you can catch problems early, maintain often, and enjoy the fruits of your labor!
