A beautiful lawn can make a house. So you put in the work of diligently caring for your lawn. You make sure to water it regularly and provide fertilizer. You don’t cut the grass too short. You even limit foot traffic to certain parts of the yard. But at the end of the day, you are still left with tired and worn-out grass with patchy spots. So, what are you doing wrong?
It is possible that there was a different type of grass planted by the previous owner and isn’t as impervious to disease and pests. In order to achieve that even, healthy-looking lawn you want, you will need to do a technique known as lawn overseeding.
What is Lawn Overseeding?
Lawn overseeding is the process of adding grass seeds to your existing lawn without turning the soil. This technique can fill in bare spots, add color to the lawn, create thicker grass, and even enhance its ability to fight off insects and pests.
Why is Lawn Overseeding Important?
This is a great solution for homeowners who have lawns that suffered from different things such as drought stress, insect damage, or simply showing signs of decline like losing color or bare patches.
Oftentimes, the best way to thicken a lawn is through overseeding. Not only does it improve the appearance, but it also helps improve the overall health of the grass as well. Newer turfgrass varieties are better at resisting drought damage, insects, pests, and diseases.
The Process of Overseeding
Your local lawn care company should be able to provide you with a lawn overseeding service. But if you like, you can do it yourself, you just have to follow the steps correctly.
- Prepare the lawn – cut the grass short using the lowest setting on your mower. Bag the clippings so the new grass seed has good contact with the soil.
- Seed the lawn – make sure to choose the right seeds for your location. Once you have the right ones, spread the seeds evenly throughout. You can use a seed spreader to make your job easier.
- Water and maintenance – watering is the most important aspect of lawn overseeding, you have to do this right after spreading the seeds. Continue on a daily basis so the seeds can germinate which usually takes up to two weeks. First watering is heavy, while succeeding should be lighter in volume.
When to Overseed
The best time to do overseeding for your lawn depends on where you live. In general, it’s best to do it during late summer to early fall. The soil would be warm enough for germination but isn’t too hot that it can tender the grass to grow before winter sets in. Soil moisture is also favorable during this time.
Spring can be an alternative but it has to be done as early as possible before the summer heat sets in.
Watering and Overseeding Lawn
As mentioned earlier, you should do heavy watering the first time for overseeding. About an inch of water. You then do lighter watering the following days. Once the grass germinates, make sure to continue watering every few days to make sure they are soaked.
Once the new grass reaches the same height as the old grass, you should water according to the instructions of the new one.
Remember to keep activity on the lawn limited during the lawn overseeding process which can take up to two weeks. After that, you can enjoy a beautiful, clean, even, and colorful lawn.
If you want help with your home’s overseeding, you can (call to action)