Spring Is The Second Best Time To Seed Your Lawn: Here’s How To Do It Properly

Whether you are patching up your current lawn or planting a new one, seeding is a crucial step to make sure that it is healthy and attractive. If your current lawn is looking thin and weak, overseeding can help restore it to the lush, thick, green lawn it used to be. The term overseeding refers to spreading grass seed over your present lawn.

If done in the right way, this is a straightforward job that delivers great results. Thinning is normal as grasses mature, particularly if you are using your lawn very often. With overseeding your lawn can remain steeped in vigor and youth, without the need for reseeding, i.e. without having to start from scratch and planting a totally new lawn.

Why Overseeding Is Sometimes Necessary

As time goes by, any type of grass gets old and has to be replaced. Worn-out lawns are an open invitation for weeds and other invasive plant species. If you wait too late with overseeding, however, you might end up having to tear out your whole lawn and start over. This is a much bigger job than overseeding. It not only takes more time but it is also a much more expensive process than overseeding at the right time.

How to Properly Overseed Your Lawn

Overseeding a lawn requires a few basic but important steps. Follow them in the correct order and your lawn will soon be the lush green paradise you remember.

Choose the Best Time to Overseed

Readers who live in the South of the US will be glad to hear that anywhere from late spring to mid-summer is a great time for overseeding. This is because warm-season lawns require higher soil temperatures to germinate.

If you live in the North, the fall is the perfect time to overseed your lawn. The air is cooler, but the soil is still warm enough, and there are not so many weeds for the newly seeded grass to compete with. Trees are beginning to shed leaves, so there’s enough sunlight. If you were not able to overseed your lawn in the fall of last year, though, spring will also work just fine.

Fix Any Existing Problems with your Lawn

For issues beyond thinning (which is normal), have your soil tested and make the necessary corrections before you proceed to the next step. Follow the recommendations you will get with the soil test results regarding repairing bare lawn spots and using soil amendments. If it’s necessary, take the time to core aerate and dethatch compacted lawns to allow moisture, air, and seed to get through to the soil. There are products on the market that combine top-quality seed with wood mulch and stabilized-release fertilizer. This makes lawn repairs a lot simpler.

Pick the Right Type of Grass Seed for your Growing Conditions

Make sure the type of grass seed you choose is a perfect match for the growing conditions in your part of the country. Factors to take into account include the amount of wind, rainfall, sunlight, shade, and foot traffic your lawn is getting.

Properly Prepare the Area

Mow the lawn as short as possible and make sure you remove the grass clippings so they don’t prevent the new seeds from getting access to water, soil, and sunlight. For regular overseeding, setting your lawnmower at two inches or even less is advisable. For winter color and southern lawns, set the blade at its lowest possible setting so it cuts just above the soil. This is often referred to as scalping. To remove clippings, thatch, and debris it's best to use a metal thatch to rake the soil. This loosens the soil and exposes it, ready to receive seeds.

Spread the Seed

Now the time has come to spread the seed you have purchased. The easiest and most effective way to do this is with a seeding machine. You should be able to rent one from your nearest rental store. Use a broadcast or drop spreader for big lawns and a handheld spreader for relatively small lawns. If for some or other reason you don’t have access to an overseeding machine, it’s best if you prepare a seedbed and then rake the seed into the soil manually. Whatever the tools you use, It’s best to do this job when there isn’t much wind.

Fertilize the Areas that you Overseeded

After sewing your grass seed, cover the seed with fertilizer - just make sure it doesn’t contain any feed or weed seeds. Starter fertilizer is a good choice since it contains nutrients that are essential for new grass. Nitrogen boosts greening and top growth, while phosphorus encourages strong root growth.

Please note : Some counties and states in the US have placed restrictions on the use of phosphorus lawn fertilizers because they fear runoff might harm the environment. Exceptions may, however, apply in certain cases. The best option is to contact your local county extension agent to confirm whether there are any nutrient application restrictions in your area.

Make Sure your Lawn Remains Well-Watered

Lawns that have recently been overseeded need to be kept moist consistently. The best way to achieve this is with light but frequent watering. For the first four days, twice a day is great. For the next 5 days after that, start watering the lawn more heavily every second day.

Get Back to Regular Maintenance

You’ve gone to great lengths to revive your tired old lawn. Now keep it looking great with a comprehensive, regular maintenance schedule that includes proactive overseeding, best mowing practices, and regular watering. A one-day-a-week lawn maintenance plan can ensure your lawn stays healthy and lush and you will still have six days to do other things!

Even with the best lawn practices, however, there will come a time when your lawn needs to be overseeded again. As we pointed out above, thinning is normal for any lawn. Next time just make sure you do it a little bit earlier - before your lawn has deteriorated too much.

When is your favorite time to seed your lawn? Let us know in the comments below.