When to Overseed? Why to Overseed? How to Overseed? How to maintain seeds?

When and Why to Overseed?

Overseeding is simply spreading grass seeds over an existing lawn. It is performed when your lawn starts looking thin and brown. It helps prevent weed infestation and encourages turf growth to achieve a thicker, crispier lawn.


When to Overseed?

Overseeding is best done in early fall because the soil is still warm enough for seed germination, and the competition from weeds such as crab grass, fox tails, among others are at its lowest. All of these contribute in making sure the new grass will have deeper roots before winter. 


Which grass type can I overseed?

Overseeding can be applied to fine and tall fescue, perennial and annual ryegrass, bluegrass, and bermudagrass.


How to overseed?

1. Mowing low and bagging clippings ensures easier seed-soil contact.
2. Light watering preceding plug aeration will prepare the soil by having the proper depth for easier moisture penetration. Our practice is to make multiple passes in different direction for best results.
3. Dethatching the lawn makes cleaning up debris easier than raking. It goes hand in hand with the previous steps because we want to make sure most of the seeds to penetrate the soil. We recommend to go with multiple passes from different directions.
4. Choosing the right seed to maintain the desired aesthetics and functionality of your lawn. It is generally best to choose the seed that is the same type as your grass. If you are contemplating on an improved variety with a certain seed mixture, make sure the blades of the seed mix are similar to the current turf.
5. ​​Apply the seeds thoroughly over the entire lawn. Expect to seed about 10 lbs per 1,000 sq ft. For normal maintenance, 4 lbs per 1,000 sq ft.s

Seeding Maintenance

• As the seeds germinate, keep the lawn moist by watering it regularly. Avoid from watering too much as you may inadvertently encourage root rot disease. Keep the soil from getting too dry during the day. 
• On lawns with exposed soil, you will need to cover up the seeds by raking the dirt.
  
• Topdressing will create additional barrier from direct sunlight and retain moisture.
  
• Fertilize immediately for best results.