The winter snows recede, and the lawn emerges. Even with the winter debris raked up and the passage of a few warm days, the lawn just isn't inspiring. Time ran out last fall, and suddenly it was too late to re-seed. Does this mean a whole warm season with a thin or patchy lawn? Not necessarily.
Lawn experts recommend reseeding lawns, also known as overseeding, in autumn to keep lawns at their best. Autumn reseeding allows cool season grasses to get a good start for the next growing season. In the spring, these new grasses will grow along with the existing grasses to provide the optimum lawn throughout the summer. This is a procedure followed by landscape professionals to maintain their clients' lawns always at peak.
When an autumn reseeding doesn't happen, spring offers a second opportunity to reseed and get good results. Taking care to provide the best conditions for seed germination and new growth is paramount in the spring to assure success.
The single greatest error - and waste of investment - in reseeding a lawn is to simply scatter the seed and let nature do the rest. The two problems with this laissez-faire approach are that seeds are food to birds and that seeds need soil contact and moisture to germinate. Scattering the seed leaves it on top of the grass where birds can easily find it and far from the soil below. Therefore it is important to make sure that the seed gets down to the soil and makes contact.
For seed to get down and get dirty, the lawn must be prepared. Use of an aerator, a dethatcher, or a verticutter is the best beginning for a spring reseeding. Each of these tools cuts through the sod in different ways to expose soil so that seed can reach it and germinate. Use of just one of these tools is adequate, and once done, a broadcast or drop spreader is used to evenly seed the lawn. After seeding, raking and misting the lawn helps all of the seed settle to the soil from the upper blades of grass.
Once the seed is sown, it needs moisture to germinate and grow. While overwatering and washing the seed out is to be avoided, the goal is to never let the seed dry out. Exactly how much water depends on local soils and conditions, but watering twice a day is recommended when it doesn't rain. Scattering straw or sprinkling good compost over a reseeded lawn helps retain moisture because these shield the grass from the air and the sun. Compost also serves as nutrients for the young grass. After the seed has started growing, a light fertilizing with a nitrogen-heavy mix will help the grass grow green and healthy.
Done at the right time in spring, reseeding a lawn in spring can help establish new grasses before the heat of summer. They will then continue to contribute their lush green to the lawn right through autumn.
Lawn experts recommend reseeding lawns, also known as overseeding, in autumn to keep lawns at their best. Autumn reseeding allows cool season grasses to get a good start for the next growing season. In the spring, these new grasses will grow along with the existing grasses to provide the optimum lawn throughout the summer. This is a procedure followed by landscape professionals to maintain their clients' lawns always at peak.
When an autumn reseeding doesn't happen, spring offers a second opportunity to reseed and get good results. Taking care to provide the best conditions for seed germination and new growth is paramount in the spring to assure success.
The single greatest error - and waste of investment - in reseeding a lawn is to simply scatter the seed and let nature do the rest. The two problems with this laissez-faire approach are that seeds are food to birds and that seeds need soil contact and moisture to germinate. Scattering the seed leaves it on top of the grass where birds can easily find it and far from the soil below. Therefore it is important to make sure that the seed gets down to the soil and makes contact.
For seed to get down and get dirty, the lawn must be prepared. Use of an aerator, a dethatcher, or a verticutter is the best beginning for a spring reseeding. Each of these tools cuts through the sod in different ways to expose soil so that seed can reach it and germinate. Use of just one of these tools is adequate, and once done, a broadcast or drop spreader is used to evenly seed the lawn. After seeding, raking and misting the lawn helps all of the seed settle to the soil from the upper blades of grass.
Once the seed is sown, it needs moisture to germinate and grow. While overwatering and washing the seed out is to be avoided, the goal is to never let the seed dry out. Exactly how much water depends on local soils and conditions, but watering twice a day is recommended when it doesn't rain. Scattering straw or sprinkling good compost over a reseeded lawn helps retain moisture because these shield the grass from the air and the sun. Compost also serves as nutrients for the young grass. After the seed has started growing, a light fertilizing with a nitrogen-heavy mix will help the grass grow green and healthy.
Done at the right time in spring, reseeding a lawn in spring can help establish new grasses before the heat of summer. They will then continue to contribute their lush green to the lawn right through autumn.
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